March 2, 2007

El Vaquero Glendale College

Photo Illustration by Sumaya Mehai Low enrollment often leads to class cancellations. The college is attempting to improve student numbers by offering new programs and providing more options to serve students’ needs. See story, page 2. www.elvaq.com Volume 91 Number 1 FRIDAY March 2, 2007

In This Issue News...................2-4 Entertainment....5-8 Sports.....................9 Calendar.............10 Opinion................11

Armenian Dignitary

Art Gallery

‘Bus Stop’

Mayor of Yerevan tours campus during L. A. visit.

‘Another February Skies’ features local talent.

Theatre Arts showcases first production of the season.

Page 3

Page 5

Photo by Sumaya Mehai

Pages 6-7

Photo by Ismael Reyes

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Friday, March 2, 2007

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NEWS

Low Enrollment Continues; Possible Solutions Emerge

By Diana Petras

EL VAQUERO NEWS EDITOR

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olleges statewide have been going through an ongoing decline in enrollment and with fewer students signing up classes are in danger of being cancelled.

In response to this crisis, GCC has attempted to improve the numbers by drawing more students into new programs and providing more options to serve students’ needs.

Vice President of Administrative Services Larry Serot said that low enrollment is directly related to the economy. The economy is doing relatively well right now, and Serot said that when the economy is in a better state there are fewer students attending college because not much is needed for people to attain more skills for a job.

He said that the enrollment numbers may be diminishing because there are people who are working while the economy is in good standing and there are fewer

high school graduates.

Declining enrollment has also been attributed to parking problems on campus.

“We’ll see if parking makes a difference with the new garage,” said Serot. “Then we’ll know if parking truly was a major deterrent [to enrollment].”

However, Vice President of Instructional of Services Dawn Lindsay said the lack of parking spaces cannot be the sole reason for low enrollment.

“There isn’t one answer to the issue here,” she said. “There are other educational options and some students may be opting to attend colleges that offer different types of teaching modalities or classes [offered] at different times.”

Even with a new semester, enrollment is down all over this semester. Several classes are even on the verge of cancellation.

Professor Jeff Smith, an adjunct who teaches public relations and broadcast journalism, said that he only has about 10 students

enrolled in both courses and that he was concerned because he was told 15 students are required to prevent a class from being cancelled. [At press time, El Vaquero found out that both of Smith’s classes have gone forward.]

Both courses are only offered in the evening but Smith said, “night versus day classes is not the problem. [My classes] are now offered every semester compared to once a year.”

Last semester, international Fine Arts student Ngene Mwaura signed up for an animation class that got cancelled. “I needed it [the class],” he said. “I ended up having to take another class that I didn’t plan on taking then.

That’s [a waste of] money and it’s just an inconvenience to do.”

“All of the programs we offer at this college are very good,” said Lindsay. “Some [programs] draw greater student numbers [and] we are encouraging faculty and staff to open up new classes and share the information with

the students.” Students may be missing out on programs and courses like Smith’s classes because they do not know all the options that are available to them.

“I don’t know why classes are shutting down,” said Instructor of Business Edward Nandkishore.

“We may need to find out from students to see if it is a loss of interest or from the instructor, but I am unsure. I have taught here at GCC continuously for 20 years.

If all three of my classes are cancelled, this might be a first for me.”

The downward trend has been consistent between both the fall and spring semesters, and GCC is looking at ways to improve enrollment.

“We understand that there are other institutions [that high school students would like to go to], but we like to look at it so that they [the counselors] could recommend a community college [to the students],” said Outreach and Assess-

ment Manager, Alen Andriassian.

The school had recently invited several local high school counselors on campus to inform them about Glendale College’s programs and services. “It is our job to let them [the high school counselors] know what we have to offer here [at GCC],” said Adriassian.

“So we brought L.A. Unified, Burbank Unified and Glendale Unified schools here [at the college],” he said. “Dr. Levy spoke about the college and its mission.

We had Dr. Lindsay talk about the institution and the classes we have, [and] Sharon Combs talked about Student Services and opportunities we have here [at GCC].”

“Our goal is to improve our numbers despite the fact that there are real variables that we don’t have control over,” said Lindsay. “We need to work on the areas where we have control See Low Enrollment, page 3

El Vaquero Glendale Community College

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Olga Ramaz

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3

NEWS

Mayor of Yerevan Stops by Campus During Local Tour

By Susan Aksu

EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

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ruising in a fleet of golf carts and accompanied by members of the board of trustees, delegates from the city of Yerevan in Armenia and members of the Armenian Consulate, toured the campus on Feb. 21 as a way to familiarize themselves with the college.

Visiting the GCC campus was one of the stops the delegates had planned to make before signing an agreement with Los Angeles which would make Yerevan its sister city. The agreement will help Yerevan and Los Angeles work together and build strong ties with one another, according to Assistant Consul General Hakop Hovanesyan.

The delegates included the Mayor of Yerevan, Yervand Zakharyan; the Chief Architect of Yerevan, Samvel Danielyan; the Head of Health and Social Security Department, Armen Soghoyan; the Deputy Head of International Relations Department, Lusine Mikayelyan; and the First Assistant to the Mayor, Vardan Amaryan.

The group toured GCC’s facilities with the guidance of Presi-

dent/Superintendent Audre Levy, who was also accompanied by Armen Liloyan, the Consul General of the Republic of Armenia in Los Angeles; Harutyun Kojoyan, the Deputy Consul General; and Hovanesyan.

This trip to Los Angeles was the first ever for any mayor of Yerevan. Zakharyan said that coming to Los Angeles and having Yerevan become a sister city of Los Angeles, gives them a better chance to be acquainted with the area, including Glendale.

Glendale currently has a partnership with its Armenian sister city, Ghapan, which is approximately five hours away from the capital, according to Hacopian.

A self-proclaimed “Glendalian,” Hovanesyan said, “the delegation must come to the community college to be introduced to education,” which was one of the reasons they came to visit the college.

“I was quite impressed. It seems to me that it [GCC] has all the facilities it needs in order to give students a great education,” said Zakharyan. “In the scientific field what’s demanded from people is quite large so it’s an important level to obtain and it seems like the facilities here can get students

New Classes Created to Enhance Enrollment [Low Enrollment], from page 2 and when we offer classes,” she said. “We also have control over expanding programs like including more evening classes and opening online classes.”

“Our mission is to service our community and our constituent groups. It [the mission] includes remedial classes, certificate programs, AA/AS degrees, transfer, vocational training, credit and noncredit classes, community education and so much more.”

According to Lindsay, the school is working to make sure that the current programs and certificates are still up to date by looking at the market needs so that they can market the courses to the economy and inform them

of what options GCC has to offer.

“If we create a certificate and we do not have a program demand for in this particular community, then it won’t be very successful,” said Lindsay. “However, if we listen to the businesses and the students, then we see what kind of curriculum we can develop that is more streamlined for them [the students]. “[GCC] offers [students] courses to be successful in life,” said Smith. “The Los Angeles area is the entertainment capital of the world. It is a major media hub and [we] need to get the word out more.”

Diana Petras can be reached at Diana Petras can be reached at Diana_Petras@elvaq.com Diana_Petras@elvaq.com

Photo by Sumaya Mehai

Superintendent/President Audre Levy shares a few words with Mayor of Yerevan, Armenia, Yervand Zakharyan, during his visit to the GCC campus. This was the first time a mayor from Yerevan traveled to Los Angeles.

to that level.”

He said he would be interested in sending a team to Glendale to study and learn the system at GCC and exchange ideas. He also said that he would be more than happy to host students and faculty from Glendale to spend time in Yerevan. As it happens, Armenia is the destination the summer of one of the college’s study abroad programs, under the direction of Levon Marashlian.

The campus tour included a stop in the planetarium, the construction site for the future Allied Health and Science building and other areas throughout the campus.

“It was quite an honor for them to visit our campus especially since they took time out of their busy schedules to make sure they got to see the college,” said Levy.

Light snacks consisting of sandwiches, pastries and cakes were provided for the special guests and faculty in the Student Center at the end of the tour. Following speeches given by Levy, Zakharyan, and ASGCC President David Arakelyan, Levy presented gifts for the delegates filled with GCC items for them to remember their tour of the campus.

Arakelyan said, “Yerevan could possibly adopt some of the things

we do here to better the education system in Armenia.”

The delegates were excited over the fact that they got to fly over Los Angeles in a helicopter earlier that day. Zakharyan said that he found the helicopter ride to be pretty impressive, and he also announced an open invitation to GCC students and faculty to visit his country.

“I would be more than happy to host them during their time in Armenia,” said Zakharyan.

Susan Aksu can be reached at Susan_Aksu@elvaq.com

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NEWS

Levy Lectures Listeners On Classroom Challenges

By Rachel Mills

EL VAQUERO FEATURES EDITOR

K

rieder Hall was packed on Feb. 22 with attendees awaiting the discussion led by Superintendent/ President Audre Levy on the overall look of the classroom in 2020. The discussion covered how the classroom look and dynamic has changed since the early days and suggested trends for the future Levy began by having students and faculty express their personal and career goals for the future and asked students to consider what the classroom may look like in the year 2020. She then had audience members exchange ideas with the person sitting next to them.

Chris Beltran, a theater arts student, said he would hopefully

be married and raising a family, a few true friends, and that he hoped to act in movies.

Going back to the beginning of formal education in America, Levy began explaining the look and feel of the classroom setting. In the past the school year only lasted nine months at most.

Students of all different ages and grade levels were put into one room and learned together.

“Students didn’t have homework in those times due to the lack of light resources,” said Levy.

Textbooks of the past were rare. The method of teaching conducted was different as well.

Students learned in groups more than from he teacher.

Progressing forward, Levy described the educational experience of the years 1950 through

1980. Nine months was still the average length of the school year as it had been earlier, but the new concept of summer school was introduced into the system. Schools started to break up the different groups of students according to age and learning level. Primers were then issued to students at the start of the teaching process.

Among these primers one popular series was the “Dick and Jane” series. Other tools that helped facilitate student learning were flash cards and workbooks. The furniture in the classroom started to become more movable and flexible.

The classroom changes up to present were then presented. Desks today are easily moved and can be placed in a variety of shapes and positions. The majority of class-

  

rooms had iron desks which were nailed to the floor back in the day.

Audio visual and other technologies available play a vital role in student’s learning adventures.

Now students do not just simply attend school for nine months because the school year is almost year round.

At one point in the Powerpoint lecture Levy displayed pictures of preschool Audre Levy and kindergarteners in their classroom setting. She engaged the audience by explaining what was going on in each of the photos. Levy said she was amazed that the technology the young students had available to them at their school. She had pictures of small children working at computer workstations much like on the GCC campus.

Other pictures showed a child playing and taking photos on a digital camera.

These images, Levy said, “tell us what the future of education looks like because these students will be the GCC students of the year 2020.” Her predictions were that students would soon be seeing the “emergence of more online and multimedia based classrooms.”

Most importantly, students of the future would have their mobile communication devices incorporated into the teaching world some how. Future education methods will have to find ways to cater to the short attention span of the students of tomorrow. More visual and moving stimulants could help address this issue.

Steve Taylor, an English professor, contested Levy’s research on the attention peak of the current student.

Classified       

“The current student’s interest peaks after 15 minutes,” said Taylor.

Levy told the audience that the classroom of tomorrow will inevitably have to cater to the fast food student of tomorrow.

This fast food student defined by Levy exhibits the need and desire for things on the go much like a McDonald’s meal.

The same student also would much rather read a bullet point list with short brief descriptions than read a long lengthy novel.

Because of this the classroom of tomorrow needs to be readily available anywhere, any time and to any one.

Why have the students of today and those of tomorrow become like this? A rise in students who play video games could very likely be a contributing factor. To help with this problem teachers and students of tomorrow could see the use of 3D holograms and simulations introduced and used in the classroom.

Some teachers and faculty members on campus echo in agreement with what Levy sees as our future classroom, Ann Cassidy, from the instructional service center said, “I thought the analysis of 2020 presented by Levy was right on.”

Skill specialization and focusing on certain skills and abilities was also covered by Levy as a high possibility of happening.

“I questioned why the students of today and tomorrow aren’t learning what past students learned,” Ellen Oppenberg said. She thinks that masters like Shakespeare should be taught to students to help them grow intellectually.

The lecture presented by Levy opened new and exciting opportunities and helped students to see what the classroom of 2020 get a view of what the classroom holds. the first in a series of four  It is  humanities and social science lectures to be held through the spring semester.

Rachel Mills can be reached at Rachel_Mills@elvaq.com

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Friday, March 2, 2007

5

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Showcase Examines Scale Variation, Non-Subjective Art

By Olga Ramaz

EL VAQUERO EDITOR IN CHIEF

“A

nother February Skies,” which runs through March 10, is the first installment in a series of exhibitions on schedule for the spring semester at the Glendale College Art Gallery.

Under the direction of Roger Dickes, this current exhibit brings together a group of local artists whose works, when displayed in conjunction to one another, emit what Dickes calls a “very unusual exhibition.”

“I had put it [the show] together really quickly,” he said. “It was very challenging.”

“Another February Skies” was installed in place of another exhibit that fell through at the very last minute.

Although scrambling to orchestrate a show last minute may sound difficult, Dickes’ regular visits to artist work studios facilitated the installation of the exhibition.

For this particular showcase, Dickes acquired pieces from four Los Angeles based artists: Anoka Faruqee, Mike McMillin, John Pearson and Rebecca Ripple.

From prints, paintings and sculptures, each of the artists pieces convey a relationship between the “physical world, body and landscape,” according to Dickes.

His main focus, however, was

Photo by Sumaya Mehai

Rebecca Ripple’s sculpture titled “Tongue,” is an example of scale variation. Its letters, which fluctuate from big to small, coil from one end of the gallery to the center and grabs viewer attention.

to hold true to the title, “Another February Skies,” and bring the outside environment indoors. “[I wanted to bring] the sky into the room without [having] any pictorial reference to it,” he said.

Walking into the gallery, one of the pieces that stands out from the rest is Ripple’s wood and Styrofoam sculpture appropriately titled, “Tongue.”

At first glance one may not be able to tell what Ripple’s piece illustrates. But on second look

word “tongue” coils from one end of the gallery to the center and its letters fluctuate from big to small. “[When I] see [“tongue”] spelled out in a monumental scale, the first thing that came to my mind was catching raindrops on my tongue as a kid,” said Gallery Assistant John Fox. In general, the show itself depicts the variation in scale measurement.

Farukee’s piece, “Colors Observed and Magnified (MCY),”

Photo by Sumaya Mehai

Student Daniel Giron focuses on a series of works by Anoka Farukee titled, “Rainbow Triplets.” The flashe paint on panel pieces illustrate clusters of asterisks depicted by an array of colors.

consist of two panels; one measuring 50.625-by-51.625-inches and the other, 5.625-by-5.125inches. She created the smaller panel first by using a large brush, which was bigger than the panel itself, and several layers of translucent paint. After the small panel was complete she went on to create the larger panel, which was no easy feat.

She recalls spending weeks observing the smaller piece, mixing colors and keeping a record of them in order to try and replicate the piece, but at a much larger scale. As Farukee describes, the larger panting is a representation of what she saw in the smaller one.

Continuing with the tone of scale and the concept of the exterior conveyed indoors, Pearson’s inkjet prints titled “Suns,” is a series of six prints illustrating the sun. The prints are cropped details from picture postcards of sunsets.

Having the prints enlarged to 71.5-by-71.5-inches each, lends itself to imagination and wonder.

Looking at the prints, one is able to visualize what the sun would look like up close as opposed to seeing it from a distance.

This show, like most exhibits in the past, is open to viewer interpretation. While some enjoy the more straightforward art, others like art student Daniel Giron, enjoy the more conceptual art. “[I’ve been in the gallery] a few times,” he said. “[What appeals to me] is that it’s [the art]

non-subjective.”

Following a trend set by “A Pin-Up Show,” showcased in the fall, and “Flesh Soup,” which was on display this past winter and put together by Fox, Dickes is giving the students of GCC a little more leeway when it comes to participating in art shows as well as putting them together.

For the next one night only exhibition, students will be able to submit their creations in a show titled “S-M-L-XL: A T-shirt Show.” Gallery staff and hosts will judge t-shirt entries which will be accepted at the gallery on March 12 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The artist’s reception will be on March 13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This one night only show is open to all students, not just those concentrating in art.

The next major exhibit will be “Modern Lovers,” a group show organized by Dickes that will showcase an array of pieces ranging from photography, paintings and sculptures.

The Art Gallery is located in the Library and is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m. For more information on “Another February Skies” or future gallery exhibits call, (818) 240-1000, ext. 5663 or visit www. glendale.edu/artgallery.

Olga Ramaz can be reached at Olga_Ramaz@elvaq.com

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Friday, March 2, 2007

www.elvaq.com 7

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

‘BUS STOP’

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O

— Story by Vida Djaghouri

n Thursday, the Glendale College Theatre Arts Department opened the season with the William Inge’s 1955 play, “Bus Stop.”

According to Inge, “Bus Stop” is “a composite picture of varying kinds of love, ranging from the innocent to the depraved.” The play takes place in a rural town in Kansas in the 1950s. Grace, the owner of a diner, along with her helper, Elma, and the town sheriff, Will, are keeping the diner open for a late-night busload of passengers who will have to stay there because of a snowstorm.

After the bus arrives, the first to enter is Cherie, a chanteuse, looking for a place to hide from a lovesick cowboy named Bo, who has apparently kidnapped her and wants to marry her. Soon after, the rest of the passengers enter, including Bo, the cowboy, Virgil, his right-hand man, and Dr. Lyman, a tipsy and verbose professor. This array of such colorful characters creates a chemistry that shines throughout the plot, in which the eight weary travelers stuck on the highway of life get to know a little more about themselves and each other.

Photo by Ismael Reyes

Virgil, played by Chris Beltran, tells Bo, played by Travis James Riner, to make things right with Cherie.

“It’s definitely a story about human qualities and humanity,” said Jeanette Farr, the director of the play. “It’s a nice sweet little piece about showing our vulnerability to other people that is somewhat rare today because we’re all very guarded.” This is Farr’s directorial debut at Glendale College.

Each member of the cast of “Bus Stop” vividly portrays a complex character who receives his or her turn in the spotlight. A professor who has a physical and emotional breakdown, performed by Joe Thomas, and the seemingly tough Bo (Travis Riner) and the all-seeing sheriff (Ryan Robbins) who find themselves in an intense brawl are among the acting highlights.

About the young actors, Tiffany Brain, who plays Elma, the bright-eyed bookworm who longs for love, says “I think this is the best cast I’ve been in chemistry-wise. We’ve all gotten along very well. We’ve really been looking forward to it. Some of us have been waiting for this since October.”

Photo by Ismael Reyes

Confined together due to bad weather, Bo, Travis James Riner, and Cherie, Brittany K. Grob, confide in each other about their romantic pasts.

The set designed by Chris Krambo presents a vivid depiction of a ‘50s world down to a gleaming diner counter that is so real “you could almost order a hamburger out of it,” said Royce Herron, the production’s costume designer. It is precise even down to a rotary phone hanging on the wall.

The costumes, as designed by Herron, also contribute to the setting. The actors are clad in articles of ‘50s garb from head to toe, including cowboy hats, pink waitress uniforms, tweed suits, and even a sparkling showgirl costume draped on Brittany Grob in her portrayal of Cherie the chanteuse.

Photo by Anita K. Marto

Virgil, right, gives Bo advice about his romantic dilemma.

Photo by Anita K. Marto

Virgil hears a conversation between Sheriff Will and Bo.

The lighting design is by Guido Girardi.

Music too plays a big role in this production. Contributing to the feel and ambience is a side stage designed to be a studio from which live performers play and sing ‘50s songs that the characters are listening to on the radio on the set. According to Farr, “It’s nice to be living in this world for a while as a director and as a cast. It lifts you up and it’s fun.”

Although the Americana piece is lighthearted and set in a time and place very different from the diverse Glendale community, it can still speak to its audience. The characters demonstrate that, in reality, appearances account for very little.

“I think that there’s a lot of messages that are universal in the show about love and how friendships can be made through diversity,” said Chris Beltran, who plays Virgil the cowboy. “I think that’s important. I wish people at GCC did that more. Maybe this show will help them.”

Bus Stop” will be performed for two consecutive weekends at the GCC Mainstage Auditorium: Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $6 for students and seniors and $4 for children and groups of 10 or more. Tickets are available at the box office or by reservation by contacting the Theatre Arts Department at (818) 240-1000, ext. 5618.

Photo by Anita K. Marto

In “Bus Stop,” a play by William Inge, Bo asks Cherie for permission to give her a goodbye kiss.

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Photo by Ismael Reyes

Cherie attempts to stop Bo from taking Virgil back to the ranch in Montana where the two men worked together. “Bus Stop” will be performed for two consecutive weekends at the GCC Mainstage Auditorium.

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Friday, March 2, 2007

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

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‘Ghost Rider’ More Tasteless and Tacky Than Artful

By Kara Aranas

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

“H

ell is about to be unleashed,” is the dark and sinister tagline used for Mark Stevenson’s remake of the Marvel comic, “Ghost Rider.” The strong and menacing phrase turns out to be tasteless and tacky, curtailing this action-packed movie that does not fail to disappoint, but will fail to excite viewers.

The story of the movie is about motorcycle stunt rider, Johnny Blaze (Nicholas Cage), who sells his soul to the devil, Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda), to save his dying father from cancer and protect the love

of his life, Roxanne Simpson (Eva Mendes). Before long, he crosses paths with Mephistopheles who makes Blaze an offer he cannot refuse. In exchange for his freedom he must become the legendary Ghost Rider, an icon of both justice and revenge. As part of this quest and agreement, he must defeat Mephistopheles’ son Blackheart (Wes Bentley), who plans to remove his father from power and make hell a more horrifying place.

Despite the all-star cast and a seemingly stimulating plot, where a flaming skull hero fights evil to protect his loved ones, the approach to the movie becomes a typical clichéd love story where good

triumphs over evil. The humor provided by comedian Donald Logue who plays Mack, Blaze’s stunt companion, turns out dry and a bit meager, not giving the film the edge it needs. The acting is mediocre, not convincing enough and at times, a bit corny.

Cage seems awkward in the role, trying to act out a tough yet mysterious renegade with a deep secret, which is not coming through in his performance and does not suit him.

Mendes’ playing the role of a reporter, and Blaze’s love interest, seems more comical than appealing.

There is no passion or kick that sparks the on-screen romance. There is not enough

chemistry between Cage and Mendes to really grasp the audience and make this supposed love affair believable.

Throughout the film, in just about every scene, it seems that the makers are trying to create a chilling ambiance, only to fail miserably and miss the desired effect.

On the contrary, a positive aspect of the film is that the effects stood out in Blaze’s computer graphics. Blaze’s flaming skull and piercing eyes is enough to scare evil and demand justice out of all the demons that he fights.

Overall it was entertaining to watch but much like previous comic remakes such as the “Punisher,” where

a strong storyline turns out flimsy due to feeble improvised lines, dry wit, and predictable, mainstream scenarios, “Ghost Rider” fails to deliver.

To put it frankly, it would not give comic fans a run for their money and did no justice to the fearless, vice conquering legend that Ghost Rider is made out to be.

The end result is another weak, unoriginal and unsatisfactory remake, which nowadays, seems to be a growing epidemic among producers and directors in Hollywood.

Rating ** out of 4 Kara Aranas can be reached at Kara_Aranas@elvaq.com

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Friday, March 2, 2007

9

SPORTS

Lady Vaqueros Defeat Santa Barbara College, 5-4

By Susan Aksu

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

D

espite a rained out preseason the GCC Women’s tennis team (1-0) prevailed to be number one on Tuesday after winning their first game of WSC season 54 against Santa Barbara College (1-2) at Glendale.

The singles matches were less successful for the lady Vaqueros.

The first matches were dominated by SB with Jennifer Chung losing to Anna Ottman 2-6, Miyuki Yokozuka to Kayla Riley 5-7 and Sonia Rodriguez to Jane Prior 6-7.

Match winners during the first match for GCC were returnee Zaira Rojas against Suzanna Petrie 6-1, Nancy Bogado against Madaleine Towery 6-1 and Maria

Bagofora against Bridget Nottingham 7-5.

The second round of matches were dominated by Glendale as they stepped up their game.

Chung won 6-3, Bagafora won 6-2, Yokozuka 6-3, Rodriguez 64. Bogado and Rojas once again won the second round with 6-3.

Moving onto the third round Chung stayed defeated 4-6, Yokozuka lost 3-6 and Rodriguez won 6-4.

“I think our doubles teams are pretty well set,” said Coach Terry Coblentz.

“They need to be comfortable playing with each other and their skills need to be able to compliment each other’s.”

Rojas and Bogado remained undefeated and were the only ones to bring in a win for GCC

Vaquero Sports Summaries Updates • Scores • Highlights

WOMEN’S SOFTBALL Glendale won three of four games last week to improve to 8-7-1. They defeated Oxnard 3-1 in a WSC game and the game Thursday against Santa Barbara was rained out. The Vaqs also beat San Diego City College 4-1 last Saturday and San Diego Mesa 7-6. They lost to Grossmont 10-6 Sunday. In the win over San Diego Mesa, starting pitcher Jennifer Nazarian got the win and Vanessa Escobar and Desiree Cunanan both doubled and had an RBI. The Vaqueros beat Santa Barbara College 5-1 on Wednesday at home.

TRACK & FIELD Glendale competed in the Cerritos Invitational last weekend and the men and women posted solid results.

For the women, Tove Berg won the 1500 meters in 4:46.71 and Lili Hernandez was second in the1500 meters in 4:59.48, second in the 3000 meter steeplechase in 11:46.83 and ninth in the 800 meters in 4:59.48.

Desiree Ruiz finished third in the steeplechase in 12:23.38 and Brenda Santana was fourth in the same race in 12:39.79.

Berg also finished seventh in the 800 meters in 2:25.41, Sandra Martinez was eighth in the same race in 2:26.69.

For the men, Cecil Menifield won his heat in the 400 meters in a personal best time of 50.13 and the 4 x 400 relay team of Menifield, Michael Flowers, Chris Lopez and Troy Huizenga also took first in its heat in 3:26.73. Lucas Williams was second in his heat of 100 meters in 11.6 and the 4 x 200 relay team of Ricky Davis, Menifield, Huizenga and Williams was second in their heat in 1:32.15. Flowers was third in the 3000 meter steeplechase in 9:56.22 and Alberto Ramos was fourth in 10:11.29. Both were personal best times. Alex Love took fourth in his heat of the 100 meters in 11:81, Huizenga was sixth in his heat of the 100 meters in 11:43, Lopez was seventh in the 800 meters in a personal best time of 1:58.29 and Flowers was 10th in the same race in 1:59.76.

Alex Leon Sports Information Director can be reached at 818.240.1000 ext. 5764 aleon@glendale.edu

in double plays. The pair won 84 against SB’s Petrie and Towery.

Yokozuka and Rodriguez lost 79 against Nottingham and Riley; Chung and Bagofora lost 4-8 against Ottmann and Prior.

“We’ve got a great group of women. They’re all hard workers. They’re ready to play,” said Coblentz.

“Certainly winning doesn’t hurt. I’d like to say I want to win every single match and I do want to win every match, but I don’t put that pressure on the kids because I’m not sure that it’s a realistic expectation.”

The next meet at GCC will be on Thursday against Cuesta College.

Susan Aksu can be reached at Susan_Aksu@elvaq.com

Photo by Sumaya Mehai

Nancy Bogado takes a stroke during a 5-4 Vaquero victory against SBCC.

Vaqueros Unable to Produce on Offense, Fall to Bakersfield

By Lenin Lau

EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

T

he Vaqueros suffered their second consecutive loss Tuesday night with a tough 1-5 defeat to the Bakersfield Renegades at Stengel Field, falling to 11-7 on the season.

Sophomore pitcher Matt Stone got to a great start allowing only two hits and one run in the first five innings. The Renegades were not able to produce their first hit until the top of the fourth inning.

“As far as [Stone’s] performance just on the mound,” said Vaqueros coach Chris Cicuto.

“He was great; he was real, real good.”

Unfortunately for the Vaqueros, errors during the top of the sixth inning allowed the Renegades to score a run and put their runners in scoring position. By the beginning of the seventh inning, the Vaqueros had dug themselves into a hole, falling behind 0-3.

Offensively, the Vaqs were unable to produce runs. The Vaqueros totaled only three hits and one run. The highlight of the offense was sophomore infielder Michael Pacheco’s solo home run in the bottom of the eighth, which cut the score to 1-4. The Vaqueros offense was not able to produce

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any more points and eventually fell 1-5.

“We didn’t come out the same team we’ve been, tonight,” said Cicuto.

“We’ve been more enthusiastic about the game. It’s a disappointing loss for us because of our intensity.”

“Our guys weren’t dialed in; we weren’t locked in as we have been in the past. We just have to be more intense as far as knowing what the guy is throwing and going to bat and having a plan.

We are a much better hitting team than it shows from tonight.”

Glendale, which has averaged about nine points in the past 13 games, will play at Los Angeles Mission College this Saturday.

Cicuto hopes that his ballclub will play at a higher level of vigor next contest.

“We’ve all played this game a long time, and they know how to get up and when to get up,” he said.

“We just got to get back to playing like the team we have been in the past.”

Lenin Lau can be reached at Lenin_Lau@elvaq.com

10

Friday, March 2, 2007

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Calendar On Campus exhibition ‘Another February Skies’ — A group art exhibition, “Another February Skies” runs through March 10 and features the works of local artists; Anoka Faruqee, Mike McMillin, John Pearson, Rebecca Ripple and more. The GCC Art Gallery is located in the Library. Admission is free.

Gallery hours are from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday and Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. For more information call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5663 or visit www.glendale.edu/artgallery ‘S-M-L-XL: A T-Shirt Show’ — The Glendale College Art Gallery presents a one night only engament, “S-M-L-XL: A T-Shirt Show.” Submissions for the show will be accepted on March 12 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the art gallery. The reception for the exhibition is on March 13

from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Create, tag, rip, sew, destroy, paint, dye, cut, etc. Entries will be judged by gallery staff and hosts.

theatre ‘Bus Stop’ — The Theatre Arts Department presents “Bus Stop,” a play by William Inge.

The production runs through March 11 in the Auditorium Mainstage Theatre. Tickets are $10 for general admission and $6 for students and seniors.

Admission for children 12 and under and groups of 10 or more is $4. Tickets may be purchased at the door or reserved in advanced. For more information call, (818) 240-1000, ext. 5618.

music Faculty Music Recital — The GCC Music Faculty will perform in the Auditorium on

March 15 in room 211 at noon.

Admission is free.

Field. The game starts at 2 p.m.

sports

• The Lady Vaqueros take on L.A. Valley at the Glendale Sports Complex on March 13, located at 2200 Fern Lane. The game starts at 1 p.m.

Mens Tennis — • The men host L.A. Pierce on March 6. Match starts at 2 p.m.

Womens Tennis — • The women host Cuesta College on March 8. Match starts at 2 p.m.

• On March 13 the women host Ventura. Match starts at 2 p.m.

Baseball — • The Vaqueros take on L.A. Mission on March 6 at Stengel Field. The game gets underway at 2 p.m.

• The men face Citrus College on March 10 at Stangel Field.

The game starts at 1 p.m.

• On March 15, the Vaqueros host L.A. Valley at Stangel

Softball —

• On March 15 the women face Citrus College at the Glendale Sports Complex. The game gets underway at 1 p.m.

other Mental Health Counseling — The Health Center provides free and confidential counseling. Appointments can be made at the Health Center located on the first floor of the San Rafael building. For more information call, (818) 240-1000, ext. 5909.

‘Too Hot to Handle Chili Cook-Off’ — Culinary arts students from 9 area high schools partcipate in a Chili Cook-off

on campus today from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Los Robles patio. Students and faculty are welcomed.

Life Long Learning Seminars — Through June 13, a wide range of free classes are being offered to mature adults as a part of the Glendale Community College’s Lifelong Learning Seminars program. Courses such as Quiltmaking, Philosophy and Ethics, Sketching and Oil panting classes will be held at several locations throughout the community. For more information on class times and the Lifelong Learning Seminars, call (818) 243-5196.

Athletic Hall of Fame— A special induction ceremony will be held at the J.W. Smith Student Center on Saturday at 5 p.m.

For more information call, (818) 240-1000, ext. 5618.

Around Town theatre ‘All About Walken: The Impersonators of Christopher Walken’ — Christopher Walken impersonators try their best to be the best fake Walkens on March 5 at 8 p.m. at the Paul Gleason Theater located at 6520 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.

‘An Evening with Jon Lovitz’ — Comedian Jon Lovitz takes the stage at the Laugh Factory on March 7. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets are $18. The Laugh Factory is located at 8001 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.

‘My Fair Lady’ — Written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, “My Fair Lady” takes center stage at the Glendale Theatre Centre located at 324 North Orange St., Glendale, through April 7. “My Fair Lady” was one of the most popular musical plays of the 1950’s. The story of phonetician Henry Higgins, who transforms the the Cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle into a

society lady. Performance showtimes are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday matinees are at 3 p.m. Tickets for the show are $21 Wednesday and Thursday evenings as well as for Saturday and Sunday matinees.

Tickets for Friday and Saturday evenings are $24.

exhibitions ‘Fever Dream’— Gallery 1988 presents new paintings

by Joe Ledbetter. The opening is March 6 from 7p.m-10p.m.

Gallery 1988 is located on 7020 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles.

‘The Art of Motion Picture Design’ —More than 100 costumes from films released last year, including the 5 Oscar nominated films being shown at the FIDM Museum. The museum is located on 919 S. Grand Ave. Downtown Los Angeles open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 10 a.m to 4 p.m.

Friday through Saturday.

music Some Girls — The El Rey presents Some Girls, Har Mar Superstar and Willowz on Saturday.

Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show gets underway at 8 p.m.

Tickets for the event are $14. The El Rey is located at 5515 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Tickets are $14. For more information call, (323) 936-6400.

‘Hip-Hop for Education’ — Hip-hop legends Dilated Peoples, underground rappers KRS-One and X-Clan and spoken word poet and musician Saul Williams participate in the Hip-Hop for Education at the Los Angeles Center Studio located at 450 S. Bixel St. in LA on March 3rd begining at 4 p.m.

‘Family Concert Super Strings and Slimy Things’ — A concerto of violins, cellos, violas and double basses takes place on March 4 at the Alex Theatre located at 116 West California Ave.,

Glendale. The concert starts at 2 p.m. and tickets for the event range from $9 to $15. For more information call the theatre box office at (818) 243-2611.

Free Monday — Kissing Tigers and Price are among some of the bands performing for free, March 5 at the Troubadour. The Troubadour is located at 9081 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood.

film ‘Everything is Illuminated’ — The Glendale Public Library located at 222 E. Harvard St., presents “Everything is Illuminated,” a film starring Elijah Wood, on March 6 at 2 p.m. “Everything is Illuminated” is the story of a young Jewish American man goes on a quest to find the woman who saved his grandfather in a small Ukranian town that is decimated by the Nazi invasion.

Admission is free and open to the community.

‘The Pink Panther’ — Steve

Martin plays the role of inspector Clouseau, made famous by Peter Sellers, in the film “The Pink Panther.” The film will be showing on March 13 at the Glendale Public Library Auditorium at 2 p.m.

This prequel tells the story of the clumsy inspector, Colombo, who must help the government after a famous soccer player coach is murdered. For more information on this film screening call (818) 548-2030.

other Book Sale — The Art and Music section of the Glendale Public Library proudly features a yearround book sale. Items for sale include art, music books, magazines and much more. The sale area is available during library hours at the Brand Library and Art Center located at 1601 West Mountain St. Proceeds of the sales go directly to the library. For more information call (818) 5482051 or visit www.ci.glendale. ca.us/art_music_sale.asp

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Friday, March 2, 2007

11

OPINION

Column

Passion and Intelligence May Not Win Election

By Vartanoosh Kiourktzian

EL VAQUERO ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

A

merica has finally been given the chance to elect a president who is smart and charismatic, no longer are they stuck making a decision between the lesser of two evils.

With Bush’s approval ratings at an all time low and Democrats being the majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate, people are ready for a change.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama has fresh ideas about the war, foreign policy and social security. Obama is passionate about the things he believes in.

He speaks about real issues instead of distracting voters from the war and economy and does not focus on fluff issues such as gay marriage like President Bush has been doing. With all this said, does he have a chance at being the first bi-racial president of the U.S.? No. Obama has many things working against him, one is his lack of experience. Despite being in the Illinois State Senate for seven years, Gallup polls from Feb. 16 show that 40 percent of people said his lack of experience would make him a bad president. Which is nothing more than a cop-out.

His opponents, the Republicans, voted for President Bush who only had eight years as governor of Texas under his belt. Bush has had the same amount of experience as Obama if not less. Maybe his daddy being former president somehow meant he knew more

about running the country than seeing an inarticulate and tongue- coverage for being a minority his 2000 presidential opponent tied president like Bush in office candidate, the average American Al Gore, who is much more served in the likely to recogHouse for eight nize Clinton’s years, then as a name and phosenator of Tento than they are nessee until Obama, who is 1993 when he the least recogbecame Vice nizable of all President unthe major conder, Clinton. tenders.

Lets not Hillary Clinforget John ton also has the Edwards. Edsupport of her wards will beat husband, forObama in the mer President primaries and Bill Clinton, not because he who is still has better ideas very popular. and better plans Clinton is curfor the U.S. but rently ahead because he is of Obama in the more trathe polls, with ditional can40 percent of didate of the the Democratic two. He is a voters support white male and and 60 percent was raised in a of voters from Baptist church. both parties In a 2004 interthat say she view with Kim would make a Lawton of Religood president, gion and Ethics while only 53 News-weekly, percent believe Edwards said Obama would that since the Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has fresh ideas. make a good death of his son president. in 1996, religion has been very for the past six years.

She is currently ahead of her important to him.

Then there is the matter of Hill- Republican opponents as well; This religious aspect can be es- ary Clinton. Among Democrats, she leads John McCain by a 52pecially helpful when it comes to she is perceived as being the most 46 margin and has a 49-48 point getting conservative votes. Ed- qualified and having the largest margin over Rudy Giuliani. wards is almost like a modern day chance of beating a Republican And what about minority votKennedy and the people deserve candidate in the election. De- ers? Is the color of Obama’s skin someone like him, especially after spite Obama receiving a lot of enough to ensure that he gets

black Americans vote? Bill Clinton is extremely popular with black voters, so much that writer Toni Morrison, a Nobel laureate, in 1998 named him “the first black president.” Clinton’s popularity with black voters will be a big asset to his wife.

Many minority votes are also thrown out. In the 2000 election, 54 percent of the discarded votes in Florida were those of African Americans. In Ohio, 35,000 votes were rejected, a majority of them those of blacks. Obama should not take the minority vote for granted.

Unfortunately Obama is not only trailing his Democratic opponents but his Republican ones as well with 52 percent of registered voters, both democrats and republicans, saying they would rather vote for Rudy Giuliani.

If the race came down to Giuliani and Obama 28 percent of Democrats would vote for Giuliani. Recent Gallup polls show that many voters feel he does not have the best chance of defeating a Republican candidate in the presidential election and a staggering 40 percent of Democratic voters feel Clinton has a better chance, then Edwards with 27 percent and Obama coming in last with 21 percent.

Obama should just save his time and money, and run when voters believe he has a chance of winning. Now I’m not saying that Obama has no chance. You never know, pigs could fly.

Vartanoosh Kiourktzian can be reached at Vartanoosh_Kiourktziani@elvaq.com

Campus Comments Do You Think Barack Obama Could Be President?

Sevana Tamrazian 20 “There’s no problem with having a black president. If he’s a good leader why not? I would vote for him.”

Vahag Yeressian 19 “People in America won’t vote for a Black president. Hillary will get the conservative and liberal vote because she has been working both ends.”

Sergio King 20 “I haven’t heard of him. Hillary Clinton might be the bigger candidate.”

Danny Omar 21 “I don’t think so because he is colored. I think Hillary Clinton has a better chance.”

— Compiled and photographed by Vartanoosh Kiourktzian

12

Friday, March 2, 2007

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As if going to school wasn’t hard enough...

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