Oct. 14, 2009

El Vaquero October 14, 2009

Glendale College

The Theater Arts Department Presents

The Durang Menagerie A Collection of Short Comedies Story page 14 Photo by Shaun Kelly

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

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NEWS / LETTERS

El Vaquero Glendale Community College

editor in chief

Brandon Hensley

NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR

Isiah Reyes

By Amy Hirsch

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

CAMPUS EVENTS EDITOR

Angelica Fraire

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Ashley

Chang

STAFF WRITERS

Aris Allahverdian Cindy Garcia AnnaLinda Andersson Jesse Gutierrez Daniel Choi Amy Hirsch Anissa Clarke Vera Iwanoff Judy Del Castillo Chloe Vignolles-Jeong Agnes Constante Yesenia Pereyra STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Richard Kontas Allan Beglarian Shaun Kelly Production Manager

Jane Pojawa

design adviser

Charles Eastman

faculty adviser

Michael Moreau

mmoreau@glendale.edu (818) 551-5214

advertising

Jeff Smith

jsmith@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000, ext. 1427

El Vaquero accepts story ideas in news, features, profiles, sports and entertainment from the public. To submit an idea or an article, e-mail the editor at editor@elvaq.com or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5349.

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ppening

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issue in this 2009 Oct. 14,

Volume

94

Accreditation Preparations Are Underway for 2010

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M

ajor preparations continue behind the scenes as the college readies for a comprehensive accreditation site visit in March.

Because of the great importance to meet accreditation standards, much time and effort has been put into the preparation for this evaluation, which is held every six years.

Jill Lewis, program manager for accreditation, explained that accreditation is voluntary.

“At GCC, our accrediting agency is the ACCJC, which stands for the Accreditation Commission for Community and Junior Colleges.” she said.

The agency is a subdivision of WASC, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Glendale applies to be reaffirmed every six years.

According to Lewis, “Our next site visit is scheduled for March 15. A team of 10 or 11 people come for three to four days. The team is composed of our peers.” The evaluating team is chaired by a college president and includes administrators and faculty.

For more than a year prior to the visit, a detailed accreditation self-study document has been in preparation to show that “we are providing the instruction that meets or exceeds the standards for quality and to insure continuous institutional improvement,” said Lewis.

Lewis explained that “the self-study document is written by the accreditation steering committee, with teams to develop and work on all the elements of the report. The four standards include institutional mission and effectiveness; student learning programs and services; human, physical, technological and financial resources; and finally, leadership and governance.”

Lewis noted, “The report has required work by a large number of people: administrators, faculty, classified employees and students. We were meeting once a week but now we have increased to twice per week. It’s a lot of work, we have to prove how we meet the standards and how we evaluate, plan, and

make improvements. The board of trustees has to approve the document, then it is printed and sent to the commission.”

Lewis explained that the accreditation team will study the document prior to their visit when “they meet with all sorts of groups on campus … administrators, the unions, faculty groups including the academic senate, student groups, classified employees and anyone they choose to speak with. They are looking for reaffirmation that we are really doing what we say we are doing in that document.”

John Queen, president of the academic senate and professor of political science, has had primary responsibility for completion of the self-study document in his position as chair of the accreditation steering committee.

“We are talking about a 350 to 400 page document that we are putting together about the college,” said Queen. “The accreditation commission has become a lot stricter in enforcing its standards … I’m confident that we will be re-accredited … but I wouldn’t be surprised if they say we have to make improvements.”

Following the last site visit reaffirming GCC accreditation in 2004, the ACCJC sent an action letter containing four focused recommendations. This document requested work in the areas of long range planning and budget allocation for IT and learning resources, greater employee and faculty diversity, development of a comprehensive educational master plan, and evaluation of retirement benefit liabilities. Details can be found at www.glendale.edu/ accreditation. The college sends an annual progress report to the commission; every three years a more detailed midterm

report is required.

Information on the ACCJC Web site, www.accjc.org, indicates that over the past year accreditation was reaffirmed for five colleges, but seven (including PCC) were given a warning, two (including LACC) were placed on probation, and four received a continued warning.

“What does accreditation do for us?” said Lewis. “Mostly it assures the public that we provide quality programs and services. It certifies that the institution meets or exceeds the commission’s standards. It also assures that our course credits, certificates and degrees are transferable. Thirdly, it establishes eligibility for student financial aid. It provides a process for continuous improvement that we can show the public.

“We will be advising the campus that the commission is coming – we will have open forums beginning in October where faculty, students and employees can come to listen and speak if they wish,” said Lewis.

On the final day of the site visit, an open meeting will be held in the auditorium and the team chair will give a verbal report to the college as to a general idea of their findings.

According to Lewis, “A detailed report will take some time, with an evaluation letter from the team, then an action letter from the commission will be sent indicating whether accreditation has been reaffirmed or whether sanctions – either warning or probation – are being imposed.”

The draft of the accreditation self-study document can be accessed at www.glendale.edu/ accreditation.

Amy Hirsch can be reached at amy_hirsch@elvaq.com

Correction:

In the article “Locker Thefts Plague Gym,” in the Sept. 30 issue, P.E. Coach Jon Gold is misquoted as saying “I’ve heard that some students keep up to $3,000 in their lockers.” The amount he actually estimated was $300.

Letter to the Editor:

I just wanted to let you know that I’ve only recently started picking up newspaper and have not only seen the dedicated effort of all in your team but also the amount of feeling that goes into each of the articles, pages, photography etc. I wanted to commend you on a brilliant group effort and will continue to read each paper put out. Thanks again for your hard work.

—Jo Ballard, student

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NEWS

Former Rocker Leads off Drug-Alcohol Summit

By Daniel Choi

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

A

rock star from the ’60s shares more in common with a priest than one would expect.

For the first ever Alcohol and Drug Studies Informational Summit, held on Sept. 30 at the Student Center, former “Canned Heat” band member Dr. Frank Clayman-Cook and Father Jack Kearney gave a lecture on alcohol, drugs and addiction.

Before the lecture commenced, attendees introduced themselves to each other while snacking on catered sandwiches and coffee. While the audience mainly consisted of students from the Alcohol and Drug Studies Department aspiring to be drug and alcohol counselors, friends and family members also attended.

“A friend of mine is in the school program studying and so she brought me along here today,” said Ruby Wert, a recovering alcoholic. “I’m interested in furthering my knowledge.”

Once everyone settled into their seats, Orlando Rivera, an instructor in GCC’s Alcohol and Drug Studies Department, introduced Clayman-Cook as the first speaker.

Clayman-Cook, a senior faculty member at the New Center of Psychoanalysis and a private practitioner in West Los Angeles, has stayed sober for 30 years.

Before becoming a psychoanalyst/psychologist, Clayman-Cook played drums for the band Canned Heat during the ’60s. Three of its members died from substance and alcohol abuse. He started his career as a psychoanalyst and psychologist at the age of 37, shortly after making a vow to quit drinking.

“I started as an older student … I was older than most of my professors who gave me B’s, which was a lesson in humility,” said Clayman-Cook as he addressed the audience. “I certainly see a number of older students here and I congratulate you for starting out on a new career because I believe what keeps people youthful is the ability to change. My hats are off to you.”

To define alcoholism, he referred to the first step in AA’s 12-step program. According to its fact file, the first step is “we admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had

become unmanageable.”

“Now I saw a lot of people, certainly as a musician, who could not control their drinking and using,” said Clayman-Cook.

“But connecting that to the idea that one’s life is becoming unmanageable is another step.”

“I knew I could not control my drinking and using … the problem was I could not connect my drinking with my life becoming unmanageable,” he explained.

As an ex-alcoholic who now holds a master’s degree from UCLA, he credits Alcoholics Anonymous for his transformation.

“If I was not a member of the program [AA], I probably would not have been able to traverse that route,” he said.

After admitting his bias for AA, Clayman-Cook went over the two things one should expect from an alcohol program.

“What a program needs to do is two things: One, detox. And number two, connect to a 12-step program, a support system that will hold patients for the rest of their lives.”

With concern to the underlying causes of alcoholism such as childhood trauma and heredity, he said it is a mistake to believe that addressing these causes will alleviate alcoholism.

“Freud’s first concept of cure was that when the unconscious is replaced by the conscious, people get well. Wrong! Just simply wrong,” he said. “Making the unconscious conscious does not cure the disorder.”

He used malaria as an example.

He asked the audience if a person with malaria can be cured if he found the mosquito that bit and gave him the disease.

“No, of course not,” he answered.

“We have to stop the use of alcohol first and then we can start to go in-depth fully into the persons psychology and make their lives more comfortable. The goal of psychoanalysis is to teach them new coping skills.”

Without appropriate coping skills, individuals remain locked in a pattern of substance abuse to relieve discomfort, which only worsens the problem.

Addressing marijuana use, which is illegal under federal law but legal in several states for medicinal purposes, ClaymanCook illustrated its associated symptoms.

Photo by Allan Beglarian

FACULTY HONORED: The Alcohol Drug Studies Club presented instructors Patricia Sanora, 22 years of service; Marion Price, 22 years of service; and Benjamin Salazar, alcohol & drug studies director with appreciation placards.

“There’s the idea that marijuana is not habit-forming and there is really no downside to it. Well, I have treated a number of adolescents … that develop a motivational syndrome as a result of smoking marijuana,” said Clayman-Cook.

“Just at an age when ambition is important, when young people are entering college where they are smoking marijuana on a daily basis … is really destroying young peoples’ futures.”

After wrapping up his lecture, Clayman-Cook quietly took a seat as Father Jack Kearney took center stage.

Kearney, a priest at the Good Shepherd church in Lakewood/ Long Beach, also acts as president for the California Association of Alcohol/Drug Educators (CAADE).

Founded in 1984, CAADE is a non-profit organization, and claims its’ mission is “to promote continuous enhancement of addiction services in the community, including prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support services.”

Kearney’s lecture addressed the issue of whether addiction really is a disease.

With the use of Power Point,

he presented several causal models, being the moral model, psychoanalytic model, social learning model and the disease model.

According to the moral model, the cause of addiction is a weak will to resist temptation. Under the psychoanalytic model, character defects are the cause. The social learning model suggests bad parenting and a corrupt environment cause addiction.

These three models have one thing in common, “badness,” as Kearney put it. In other words, they are the “scumbag model.”

The disease model, on the other hand, focuses on a body organ, recognizes its defect, and displays symptoms stemming from the defect found in the organ. Kearney chose a femur as the organ and a fracture as the defect. The symptoms resulting [See Drug, page 4]

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

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NEWS

Garfield Campus Offers Citizenship Classes

By Cindy Garcia

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

T

he U.S. is known internationally for its broad diversity of cultures and ethnicities and is formed by people from all different backgrounds, many of whom are immigrants from all over the world.

But what do you do if you can barely speak English and have no idea who the man on the one dollar bill is and want to become a U.S. citizen? The answer is very simple: enroll in free citizenship classes at the college’s Garfield campus. “We have three classes [for] beginning students who are barely literate, intermediate students and advanced,� said Division Chair of Non-Credit ESL, Patricia Zayas.

In the citizenship classes, students are prepared to fluently

answer the 100 questions of the civic writing test and some personal oral questions in English for their interview with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). “One of your requirements for citizenship is to be able to read, write and understand English, so we also teach English at the same time that we are teaching the government and the history,� said citizenship and ESL teacher, Sandra Limina.

The citizenship classes are tuition free but there is a $35 fee that covers the cost of the photographs, the typed application and the entire package ready to be sent to the USCIS. To successfully complete the class, the textbook “Voices of Freedom: English and Civics for U.S. Citizenship,� serves as an excellent key. Within its 240 pages, this book covers topics

from vocabulary to “The Oath of Allegiance,� as well as citizen rights and duties.

Students have access to the book during class time and they may also purchase the book for $25. When purchasing the book, students count with an extra tool which is the CD for additional help such as supplemental tips and recommendations.

At the time of the interview, the immigration officer may ask the applicant up to 10 questions out of the 100. The applicant must answer at least six questions correctly in order to pass the civics test.

If the applicant is 65 years or older and has been a legal resident of the U.S. for 20 years or more, she or he may study only 20 questions out of the 100 in the book.

Becoming a citizen is a rewarding experience because

“they can vote and they can participate in the government,� said Limina. “They have a say to what happens to them, that way they can take more control of their lives.�

Even though for some adults, becoming a U.S. citizen seems to be a goal too far to reach, student Zarintaj Asadollah is a success story. She is an Iranian immigrant and a grandmother who has been living in the U.S. for six years and just passed her test. “I am very happy that I passed my test,� Asadollah said. “I was very concerned at first but I did it of course with the help of my teacher.�

She also described the citizenship classes to be helpful and a great opportunity, but the only conflict she occasionally had was the time the classes were scheduled. “I take care of my two

grandchildren and sometimes it was very difficult for me because of time conflict, but the classes are very good and I really recommend them,� Asadollah said.

The citizenship classes meet two nights a week, Monday and Wednesday, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and are a semester long.

The citizenship office has been serving the community for about 25 years, with citizenship consultancy and has been offering classes for about 15 years.

The Garfield campus is located at 1122 E. Garfield Ave. Students can register anytime if the classes are not full. To register for classes or to ask questions, visit www.glendale. edu/cointinuinged or call 818240-1000, ext. 5717.

Cindy Garcia can be reached at Cindy_Garcia@elvaq.com

Drug and Alcohol Summit [Drug, from page 3]

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from the defect found in the organ. Kearney chose a femur as the organ and a fracture as the defect. The symptoms resulting from the fracture of a femur are screaming, bleeding, deformity and disability.

His presentation argued for the use of the disease model as the surest way of finding the cause of addiction. “Because of this [the disease model], Dr. ClaymanCook and I are alive today,�

Kearney exclaimed. “A 150 years ago we would have been dead in a old folks home by now. This model should double peoples’ life spans.�

Under the model, the brain is the organ. Its defect is corruption of the midbrain, also known as the “snake brain� or “survival brain.�

The midbrain as characterized in Kearney’s presentation is “not conscious, handles the next thirty seconds, and is a life-or-death processing station for arriving

sensory information.�

When a drug is administered, it hijacks the midbrain’s survival system.

Normal needs such as eating, sleeping and engaging in sexual intercourse are no longer imperative. The drug becomes the key to survival.

So according to Kearney, the defect found in the midbrain is the deregulation and imbalance of dopamine levels caused by stress, which lead to loss of control, cravings, and the constant use of drugs despite its negative effects.

Kearney hoped that his presentation gave the audience “a deeper understanding of the disease concept, how biologically it is absolutely an illness.�

For more information on the Alcohol and Drug Studies Dept., contact Program Director Benjamin C. Salazar Jr. at 818-240-1000, ext.

5513.

Daniel Choi can be reached at Daniel_Choi@elvaq.com

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

5

FEATURES

Sci-Fi Merges with Anthropolgy in Lecture and hang out with the humans and he takes himself on this wild EL VAQUERO NEWS/FEATURES EDITOR adventure of trying to figure out tar Trek” and “Star Wars” how he can [utilize] his ethnic themes such as religion and diversity in a positive way.”

Other characters, such as identity were logically discussed in Kreider Hall featuring Western Cisco from “Star Trek” and ObiNevada College Professor Daryl Wan Kenobi from “Star Wars,” Frazetti, who put a forceful represent religion.

“There is a conflict in our own emphasis on the anthropology of society between secularism with the two franchises.

Frazetti, an archaeology, science and religion of faith,” anthropology and biology Frazetti said. “And I see it when professor, talked about how the I teach my courses … you’ve got two series function as cultural to get around getting students mirrors and cultural teachers as interested into the discussion he examined the subculture of of the matter at hand [religion].

Occasionally, evoking a little ‘Star fandom through music and art.

Trek’ and ‘Star “‘Star Trek’ Wars’ minimizes and ‘Star Wars’ biases.”

“A lot of fandom tell us the same Frazetti stated kinds of things truly believes that he enjoys that anthropology that Star Trek using the “Lord of does,” Frazetti the Rings” series said. “A lot of is indeed a to specifically what ‘Star Trek’ blueprint for the d i s c u s s and ‘Star Wars’ Christianity. future.” have been about The character are our cultural —Daryl Frazetti Data symbolizes past stories, or our what it means to present conditions being reflected back at us and be human, while Anakin, Yoda explaining us through these forms and Q taught different lessons to society. of media.”

“Star Trek” is used to explain The movies explain the paths that humans take depending on the mythology, most notably in the choices made and how positive episode “Tapestry,” where Q, who appears in “Star Trek: The changes can be implemented.

“The message in ‘Star Wars’ Next Generation,” “Star Trek: beyond the myth is that there are Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: all these cultural lessons that are Voyager,” comes back as God. “I think we can agree that the in there for us in terms of how we can use this to have an impact on mythological components of each one are the reason they’re still our society,” Frazetti said.

The discussion focused on around,” Frazetti said. “A lot of different characters from each fandom truly believes that Star movie series to answer questions Trek is indeed a blueprint for the concerning individuality, politics future.”

At the end of the lecture, and what it means to be a human. showcased some Spock and Luke Skywalker Frazetti were chosen to represent technological inventions created from fans of the two franchises, individualism.

“Spock wrestles a lot with such as real life R2-D2s and the his identity,” Frazetti said. “He Klingon keyboard (for serious decides to join the Star Fleet Trekkies only).

By Isiah Reyes

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Anthropology student John Ostermiller, who assisted Frazetti in the presentation, said he met Frazetti.

“In Wondercon in San Francisco when he was giving a talk on just ‘Star Trek’ and I just happened to really kind of click with what he had to say.”

“Do we still need ‘Star Trek’ and ‘Star Wars’?” Frazetti asked the audience. “Are there [still] cultural lessons that we can gain from them?” He left the audience with that question to ponder at the lecture’s conclusion.

Frazetti will speak at LOSCON (a fan-run science fiction convention) in November at the LAX Marriot. To contact Frazetti, leave an email at frazetti@wnc. edu.

The next science lecture is called “From the Beginning to the End ... and Everything in Between (System Error: Please Reinstall the Universe and Reboot)” and will be held on Oct. 27 at noon

by Poghos Kazarian in SB 243.

It will be free and open to the public.

Isiah Reyes can be reached at isiah_reyes@elvaq.com

Photo by Shaun Kelly

FAN BOY: Western Nevada College Professor Daryl Frazetti is a serious connoisseur of all stars Trek and Wars.

6

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

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7

FEATURES

Foundation Seeks to Boost Awareness of College

By Agnes Constante EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

W

ith state budget cuts depleting the amount of money available to the college, the Glendale College Foundation is working hard to soften the economic blow by raising funds for students and departments at Glendale Community College.

The foundation, established in 1983, is a tax-exempt charitable organization recognized under government law as a 501c3.

Although it is a separate entity from Glendale College, it directs its funds to students and various departments at the school.

Under the leadership of Lisa

Brooks, the foundation has remained on top of its goals, innovating new ways to raise funds for and increase community awareness of GCC. Brooks, the foundation’s executive director, has served on the board for the past eight months. Though a relatively new member, she has already begun to work on meeting the organization’s goals. Brooks recently implemented a new community relations committee to improve the college’s publicity.

Dianne Endsley, who has served on the foundation board for 15 years, was appointed the committee’s chair.

“Our main goal is to attract

maximum visibility and resources to the college through the foundation,” she said.

“We think that there’s a lot of people that even live in Glendale that don’t even realize that Glendale College is as large and as wonderful as it is. So we kind of want to get the word out.”

The committee is composed of 17 members throughout the community with various areas of expertise.

With the trend of online social networking, Brooks is also looking to work with the marketing department to create an online presence for the foundation.

She created a causes page

Students, Pros Grace Pages of Eclipse

By Jesse Gutierrez

EL VAQUERO STAFFF WRITER

E

clipse is putting GCC on the literary map with its nationwide success.

“Eclipse is the only national journal that publishes student work right alongside the professionals” said English Professor Bart Edelman, who is also editor-in-chief of the publication.

Eclipse started back in 1990, publishing only student work until the year 2000 when the journal went national and started to include the works of nationally known writers.

“We wanted to do something unique, really put the college on literary map,” Edelman said.

Edelman never thought when he started the journal back in 1990 that it would be this big today, “Former President John Davitt and former Vice President Chris McCarthy helped us gain money, and we even got a grant from the professional development center,” he said.

The support for Eclipse still has not wavered even when Davitt retired. “What’s really great is the incredible support that we are receiving from [interim president] Dawn Lindsay,” Edelman said.

Eclipse is not just a unique opportunity for students to be published alongside writers that they may be reading in their

own textbooks, but it will give them a leg up on the competition when trying to get their works published in other places.

For student and Eclipse staff member Arin Keshishian, it’s “a fulfilling experience. It really inspires me to do my own writing,” she said.

“I took a creative writing course with Bart, and for one of the assignments we had to write a poem, and he really enjoyed mine and asked me if I would like to have it published.”

A poem about the essence of drumming and the feeling of being on stage, her poem appears in the current issue of Eclipse.

“We will look at anything that is sent,” said Edelman. “However, if you’re a student at the college you have a better percentage chance to make it in.”

Its not like they will accept just anything though. Since it is a national journal, Edelman and his team are very selective, and like every journal, they only publish about one or two percent of what they receive.

“I read thousands of poems and short stories,” Edelman said.

But he does not do this all alone.

He has a full staff of people that help him work on the book.

He even occasionally brings some of the poems into his creative writing class so that they can take a look at them as well.

“We are looking for student work. We are always looking for more student work, ” Edelman said.

As an added incentive for students, as if having their work published is not enough, they even offer cash prizes to those students who excel in poetry or fiction writing.

However, even Eclipse cannot escape the current budget crisis. “It makes me have to go outside for private donations or foundations to make money,” said Edelman.

Eclipse is currently printing a lot less. Last year they printed about 12,000 copies while in previous years the run had been up to 18,000 copies.

Even though the budget has affected the journal’s circulation, it has not affected its influence. It can still be found in a majority of bookstores, but if it not on the shelf, it can be special ordered and brought in within three days.

For something that started with such a humble beginning and has grown into such a huge success, it’s something that the entire school can look at with pride.

Students who want to submit their work to Eclipse, may drop LB216. Edelman says that students are always welcome to submit their work for consideration.

on Facebook and has managed to raise about $600 for the foundation this way.

Each year the foundation gives out $300,000 in scholarships to students and sponsors a different department of the college.

According to Susan BorquezDougherty of the scholarship office, the foundation sponsored 236 of the 500 scholarships disbursed by the school.

Student outreach coordinator Henan Joof was one student who benefited from the scholarships in the spring of 2004.

“The most important [way the scholarship helped] was my transfer applications,” Joof said.

With Cal State and UC applications nearly $50 each, the scholarship helped Joof. He was an international student at the time and could not qualify for waivers. The scholarship also helped Joof pay for books.

To raise funds for students and departments, the foundation relies on developing long-term relationships with individual donors and corporations.

“Fund raising is relationship building,” Brooks said.

Despite the current economy, Brooks emphasized that maintaining good relationships with donors is crucial. “[Donors] might be going through financial trouble right now, but we’re looking at our relationship with [them] over a lifetime,” she said. “That’s what makes good fund raising. You can’t focus on short-term gain.”

The organization is also looking into the creation of planned giving, a program that would honor the lives of donors who leave money to the foundation after their deaths.

The foundation is also funded through grants and voluntary payroll deductions from faculty and staff.

Among the contributions the foundation has made to the college include funding for the nursing center, observatory, the football field, scoreboard and refurbishments to the tennis court.

Brooks perceives the next two years to be “tough” as GCC

is affected by state budget cuts, higher unemployment, and more students seeking to attend the college.

Overall, funds donated to the foundation tend to be designated for specific causes.

“One of my hopes is to build a bigger pot of money that is unrestricted, and that way we can respond every year to urgent needs on campus,” Brooks said.

“For us to be able to respond to urgent needs, we really need some money that’s unrestricted.”

The organization is governed by a 35-member board of directors, composed of community members who are nominated based on their connections and position to raise money for the college.

Board members include businesspeople, marketing people, and one member from the Glendale News-Press.

Those interested in donating may do so by visiting the foundation office in AD 149, through phone, in cash or check, by volunteering payroll deductions (for faculty and staff), through the foundation’s Facebook page and online at htp://www.glendale.

Agnes Constante can be reached at Agnes_Constante@elvaq.com

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Online photos, articles, slideshows and more: Jesse Gutierrez can be reached at jesse_gutierrez@elvaq.com

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

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OPINION

To Smoke or Not to Smoke Is Campus Question For: Designated Smoking Areas on Campus

Against: All Tobacco Use on Campus

By Allan Beglarian

By Judy Del Castillo

U

D

EL VAQUERO STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

nder a hot California sun a cold war is brewing at Glendale College over smoking, where the combatants would like to see the other side obliterated once and for all!

On or around Sept. 10, a torrent of e-mails crisscrossed the GCC network demanding a smoke- free campus, and no sooner had the network cables a chance to cool that counter demands flooded the trenches of senders.

Both sides have strong opinions and some are more passionate than others. The arguments are similar to all pro and cons of tobacco use. After all, who wants to be sitting in a class and smell smoke pouring through the airconditioning vents? Or, step over cigarette butts like bodies strewn across a battlefield?

The effects of tobacco use are well documented. Yes, it can cause illness. Yes, it is not the best of habits and those who do not smoke should have protection from those who choose to do so.

With the cities of Pasadena and Burbank banning smoking at most public places, it was not surprising that the city of Glendale followed suit and with a stroke of the pen, hundreds, perhaps thousands of smokers were forced to check their vile habit in public. Various establishments from bars and clubs to restaurants and coffee shops pointed to the possibility of a fall in profits.

In Glendale, storms brewed over ethnic sensitivities with the misplaced words of a city council member. Fortunately for all, no one was struck by lightning, and soon, without fanfare, Glendale joined the ranks of the nonsmokers’ public opinion, all for good reason.

Cries of bad business and what about our rights to live the way we want fell by the wayside in the thunderous demands of nonsmokers. After all, no one wants to pay for the health care costs of people who choose to squander public money on their vile habit.

And, that is how things ended. Or has it? There is talk of Los Angeles opting for the non-smoking bandwagon to the chagrin of all smokers in Southern California, and now GCC. The fact that high taxes are

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Photo by Allan Beglarian

ADDICTION OR RECREATION?: Yong Jin Kim, 23, a business major, takes a moment to light a cigarette while walking to his next class.

levied on cigarettes, and the product sold in a city, which chooses to ban the use of it within its boundaries, places a smoker between a rock and hard place. The smoker is no longer considered a member of the public with “rights.” Fortunately, there are still plenty of places in public that can be designated as a smoking zone, where smokers can smoke and the non-smokers need not congregate.

There is every reason that a non-smoker should not be subject to second hand smoke. There is also every reason for a smoker to be able to smoke.

What eludes non-smokers is the fact that smoking is an “addiction” to a smoker. The medical community has come to accept addiction as a disease, an illness. Just as the smell of smoke is sickening to a non-smoker, the lack of nicotine has side effects ranging from irritability to depression and suicide for a smoker.

There are smokers among the students, faculty and employees of GCC. To obliterate their rights

as smokers with a complete ban of smoking on campus with no regard for the addictive effects of nicotine is no longer a democratic endeavor, but a simple dictatorship of the majority.

So, what is to be done at Glendale College? Well we could all worry about the smog that kills smokers and non-smokers alike faster than secondhand smoke, but if that is not possible for the moment, lets do away with the little red “No Smoking” signs that still do not work, and designate strategically placed smoking areas, with ample ashtrays and space, around the campus where smokers can smoke and the nonsmokers need not venture, and enforce the rule.

Allan Beglarian can be reached at Allan_Beglarian@elvaq.com

What do

you think? editor@elvaq.com

o you remember those candy cigarettes that were sold in ice cream trucks and toy stores as a child? They came in wrappers that mimicked actual cigarette sticks and resembled genuine cigarette packs. Children would buy them and pretend that the cornstarch residue that let out a “puff” of smoke when they blew on it was the real thing.

It is a psychological fact that children imitate the actions of their parents.

Fast forward to them all grown up and in college, and it seems like students all over campus have spent their lives watching mom and dad go through one carton of Marlboros too many.

While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, the act of lighting up has put a blemish on Glendale’s otherwise sparkling campus.

Call it an “un-beautification” process.

Audrey Bautista, 23, a business major, stated that her father, sister and brother are all smokers.

She attributed her first time to curiosity. “My first cigarette was in grade school because I just wanted to try it. I smoke [now] because I got used to it, but I’m not much of a smoker. I started doing it socially at parties three years ago.”

Janice Santa Ana, 22, a nursing student, also started the same way. “I would go to parties and there was always someone there offering a cigarette,” she said.

“It wasn’t long before I started buying my own packs and was smoking after meals or my ‘free time’ or just when I was hanging out with a friend.

“Funny thing is, my dad was a smoker. He started smoking at the age of 14 and didn’t stop until I was 7 [years old] … but almost every one of my friends smoke, which is probably the biggest influence that led to my smoking,” said Santa Ana. It is no surprise that cigarettes can be harmful to one’s health, so much that, in 1962, President John F. Kennedy called for the Surgeon General warning that we see on cigarette packages today.

It warns of the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, birth defects for pregnant

mothers, and other diseases.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act was implemented this year and requires “the Food and Drug Administration to evaluate the impact of labels, labeling, and advertising on consumer behavior in order to reduce the risk of harm and promote understanding of the impact of the product on health.”

According to the legislation, “Tobacco product advertising often misleadingly portrays the use of tobacco as socially acceptable and healthful to minors. It is the foremost preventable cause of premature death in America, and causes over 400,000 deaths in the United States each year, and approximately 8,600,000 Americans have chronic illnesses related to smoking.”

Rosemary Pascual, 24, a nursing student, has also admitted to smoking. “My friends were doing it, and everyone was doing it around me so I wanted to try it.

I never really got into it though because of the taste and side effects. I outweighed the good from the bad.”

Santa Ana has recently quit smoking for several reasons: “One, it was too expensive to continue buying packs of cigarettes; two, I read an article on ‘third-hand smoke’ discussing how the smell of cigarette smoke lingering in the car or on my fingers can be harmful to my daughter; lastly, in my anatomy class, we learned how smoking pretty much affects every organ in our bodies whether that be direct or indirect.”

The Surgeon General has also recognized secondhand smoking as an equal threat that carries the same risks as smokers, such as lung cancer and heart disease.

Children exposed to second-hand smoke may develop conditions such as asthma, respiratory infections, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

The college has even done its share of promoting public safety on campus. GCC’s policy prohibits smoking in any building or within 20 feet of the entrance to any building on campus. Smoking is only allowed on certain outdoor areas where a ‘no smoking’ sign is not posted.

When asked how she felt about the policy, Pascual said [See Opinion, page 9]

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

9

OPINION

Nobel Peace Prize Ironic as Death Toll Rises

By Ashley Chang

EL VAQUERO ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

O

nly nine months into his presidency, it was announced last week that Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize.

The award committee praised the commander in chief for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.”

Ironically, the same nine months claimed the largest loss in military lives since the war in Afghanistan began in 2001, with nearly 400 soldiers dead and buried and thousands of Afghan casualties laid to rest.

People are dying. Faceless names of young men and women who died in Afghanistan drift across our television screens on the nightly news as we eat our TV dinners.

The dichotomy between Obama’s Nobel Prize award and the war in Afghanistan have only fueled a tug-of-war between

conservatives and liberals, as both sides await the president’s decision on whether to send thousands of additional troops.

As reports allude to Obama’s win as an award for “not being President George W. Bush,” policies enacted during the previous administration still stand.

“On my orders, the United States military has begun strikes against al-Qaida terrorist training camps and military installations of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan,” said Bush on Oct. 7, 2001.

Here we are, eight bloody years later, with about 2,000 Afghan civilians and 1,446 U.S. and coalition soldiers dead in the midst of “Operation Enduring Freedom,” as reported by iCasualties.org Soldiers are no longer mothers, fathers, sons or daughters, but another number, another percentage. Numbers used and tossed around like rag dolls

Opinion: Anti-Smoking [Opinion, from page 8] students will smoke no matter what, so having designated areas is good.”

Still, there have been many concerns from students and professors alike who question the policy’s enforcement or lack of.

“I didn’t even know there was a policy,” said Audrey Bautista. “I see people smoking everywhere on campus and I thought no-smoking zones didn’t exist here.”

Santa Ana, on the other hand, believes that GCC should take it a step further and make the campus smoke-free. “I know of a few other schools that have taken to this policy,” she said.

By prohibiting smoking on campus, people can walk freely through most parts without inhaling toxins from cigarettes, and hopefully this will encourage smokers to quit.

The city of Glendale has already taken action to become smoke-free by passing an ordinance that went into effect late last year and involves all business, restaurant and apartment owners throughout Glendale.

The ordinance prevents smoking on city property, such as parks and libraries; on areas of multi-unit apartment housing; on outdoor dining areas of restaurants; on indoor and outdoor areas such as parking lots; and within 20 feet of these areas with the exception of certain smoking zones that each business may designate.

The bottom line is, smoking and the harmful health risks associated with smoking has become such a hot topic that can no longer be ignored, and if the campus policy were to ban smoking on altogether, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Even Philip Morris USA, a U.S. tobacco company that manufactures Marlboro cigarettes, has stated on its Web site: “As of today, there is no cigarette on the market that public health organizations endorse as offering ‘reduced risk. If smokers are concerned about the risks of cigarette smoking, the best thing to do is quit.”

Ironic, isn’t it?

Judy Del Castillo can be reached at Judy_Del_Castillo@elvaq.com

by politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, as they feed us their rhetoric.

As the Taliban occupy the majority of Afghanistan and 68,000 American men and women attempt to diminish conflict and apathy, at home, we feverishly debate about “Octomom” and Kanye West. We continue our day-to-day lives, distracted by the swine flu and iPhones, as others mourn the deaths of family members.

Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal requested thousands of additional troops, stating, “I don’t think if we align our goals and our resources we will have a significant problem. Our problem will be if we didn’t.”

The problem is we did. Invading Afghanistan has only caused an increase in tension and terrorism.

There is more animosity towards the United States than ever before.

Those who were once neutral and passive observers have seen villages bombed, family and friends mutilated, therefore fueling cynicism and hatred towards the U.S. When will the majority of Americans no longer be passive observers and become active in the fight for peace? We must realize this is America’s war, not only a war for those who are thrown into desert sands and bombarded with bullets and missiles.

It’s a “call to action…used as a means to give momentum to a set cause,” Obama said in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize. That cause is Afghanistan and the time is now. Obama must implement policies for peace and amity, rather than the destructive and “warmongering” scare tactics in place now.

With villages burned and families displaced, thousands wounded and frightened, hope and peace is a far cry from reality.

We must demand change; the kind of change we can hold and embrace as soldiers return from fighting a war most supporters would never fight themselves.

We must see the kind of change that exceeds campaign slogans and promises.

Slogans of “Hope,” “Change,” and “Yes We Can” seem like nothing but a distant memory for the many young Americans who supported Obama’s vision of universal nuclear disarmament, the closing of Guantanamo, and the end of the wars in Iraq and

Afghanistan.

As many of us students live as if we are indestructible, speeding through the journey we call life, many of our young soldiers have come to the realization too soon they are no longer invincible.

Many will never experience the anxiety of their first job interview and the serenity of driving top down through the Pacific Coast Highway. Many fathers will not stumble upon the first dance with their newly wed daughters, while mothers are left without experiencing the gift of becoming grandmothers.

Yet, we debate over “evil doers” and financial costs, reviewing how much taxpayers have spent per soldier, not realizing the true loss of this eight-year war.

People are dying.

This is no video game, movie or bad dream. There is no waking from this nightmare. We must right our wrong and support our troops, not by hanging American flags outside our homes or sending postcards on holidays, but by

ending this war and bringing soldiers home.

Patriotism is not measured by bumper stickers or the “Star Spangled Banner,” or by celebrating the Fourth of July; it is in fact measured by our pursuit of enacting global policies that reflect the high morals and ethics we attempt to preach.

Winning the Nobel Peace Prize comes with responsibility and duty. Not only on the shoulders of our president, but also on the shoulders of all Americans. We cannot sit back as people continue to die for a country that refuses to save the lives of troops who try to protect us.

It is our “call to action” and our obligation to fulfill the task at hand, so that finally, there will no longer be a need for the postcards on holidays and the faceless names that drift across our television screens as we eat our TV dinners.

Ashley Chang can be reached at Ashley_Chang@elvaq.com

WANTED: Letters to the editor.. .

WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?

10

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS: All new mazes this year featuring: “Saw: Game Over,” “Halloween: The Life and Crimes of Michael Myer,” “My Bloody Valentine: Be Mine 4 Ever,” and “Chucky’s Funhouse.” Add to that six new scare-zones, a fully re-imaged “Terror Tram” and two stage shows: “Rocky Horror Picture Show: A Tribute” and “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure” and you’ve got a full night of haunted Halloween hack-tivity! See related story on page 16. For exclusive slideshow coverage visit: www.elvaq.com.

Photos by Richard Kontas

To find a store near you, go to goodwillsocal.org

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

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Girl Power on Wheels Is Roller Derby Retro

By AnnaLinda Andersson EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

F

antastic, fabulous and furiously raw, “Whip It” will have the audience whipped within minutes.

Ellen Page (“Juno,” 2007) stars in this innovative movie about the high school student Bliss Cavendar. Cavendar lives with her little sister and parents in the tiny Texas town, known as Bodeen. She does not really agree with what her mother (Marcia Gay Harden, “Mystic River,” 2003) has mapped out for her and her life.

According to her mother, Cavendar should learn how to be a proper woman and a suitable wife by winning huge trophies at beauty pageants. However, staying in Bodeen and compete in this pageant is not really the ideal for Cavendar. So she needs to find her own way to get out of Bodeen and free from her parents.

And does she find it!

After one very inspirational night at a roller skate derby in nearby Austin, Cavendar decides to try out for the underdog rollerskate team “Hurl Scout” But the big question is, will she be able to measure up with the likes of Maggie Mayhem (Kristen Wiig, “Knocked Up,” 2007), Rosa Sparks (Eve, “Barbershop 2,” 2004) and Smashley Simpson (Drew Barrymore, “He’s Just Not That Into You,” 2009)?

With a little help from some old Barbie skates, a lot of practice and a little white lie, she makes the team, and the games begin.

The movie’s roller skate derbies put a whole new meaning to the term “Girl Power.” When sitting in the theater watching the movie, the audience actually twitches and feels the pain of the hard falls, sharp elbows in the chest and all other different reasons that leaves bruises the size of a basketballs all over the girls’ bodies.

And even though the girls play in skimpy clothes in front of their big audience of loud fans, the movie has such a strong feministic message that women and men in of all ages should see it for educational purposes.

Barrymore, who makes her directorial debut, manages to make a brilliant film out of a screenplay by Shauna Cross, author of the semiautobiographical novel from which “Whip It” is adapted.

The film is projected in very “cozy” colors such as green and orange, which is very suitable to its October premier. Barrymore has also decided to shoot the film in very non-stylistic frames and straight forward angles, which could be considered a bit too safe at times. However, the cinematography gives the audience the chance to get up close and personal with the characters.

Fortunately for Barrymore, the best job she did with the movie was casting the actors.

Marcia Gay Harden (“Mystic River,” 2003), gives a credible performance as the mother who has the ideal of true womanhood

as if she was born in the 1930s.

Page is perfect as the sarcastic but yet so humble teenager Cavendar. And Juliette Lewis (“Old School,” 2003) is just pure candy for one’s eyes and soul as Cavendar’s biggest and craziest opponent Iron Maven.

Kristen Wiig is funny as always and Jimmy Fallon’s hair alone will make you laugh.

The movie has everything. It includes a touching family story, a girl’s path to womanhood, WHIPPED INTO SHAPE: Ellen Page finds her true calling as a roller derby girl in and a truly believable “Whip It.” romance between Page and singer/songwriter Landon like a tea party is also what makes this film remarkable.

Pigg.

Four words for everyone: go Humor, smart dialogue and action scenes so real and brutal it and see it!

AnnaLinda Andersson can be reached at would make a UFC match look My rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.

AnnaLinda_Andersson@elvaq.com



‘Rethink Afghanistan’ Gives Alternative Insight to America’s Eight-Year Conflict

By Daniel Choi

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

“R

ethink Afghanistan” urges its viewers to give some thought to the War in Afghanistan.

After setting an exit strategy for the U.S. War in Iraq, President Obama finds himself confronting another challenge in Afghanistan. If Obama stays true to his word, he will continue the war and possibly deploy thousands of additional armed forces to the war-torn country. According to the film, this would not be the wisest move.

Director Robert Greenwald (“Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers,” 2006) presents the film in six parts: “More Troops + Afghanistan = Catastrophe,” “Pakistan: ‘The Most Dangerous Country‘,” “The Cost of War,” “Civilian Casualties,” “Women of Afghanistan,” and “Security.”

Set up as a Q-and-A, the documentary asks intriguing questions and answers them right back through interviews and news segments. Through on-camera interviews professors, journalists and foreign correspondents give their insights on the war.

Even a member of Afghan parliament and a former general in the Russian Army voice their opinions. Greenwald edits snippets from news outlets, effectively giving the sense of mainstream evidence and support. The score creates a sense of urgency by humming in the background as the interviewees give their account on the war.

Part one examines the possible consequences of increasing military presence in Afghanistan.

It argues that doing so will cost the lives of more Afghan civilians and American troops, destroy the country’s urban setting even further, and create more antagonism against the U.S. “More Troops + Afghanistan

= Catastrophe” provides the general theme and tone of the documentary then leads into the following parts.

“Pakistan: ‘The Most Dangerous Country’” emphasizes the importance of Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism.

It explains, through wellinformed individuals, how an uncivil Afghanistan results in a destabilized Pakistan and vice versa. For the Taliban government, no border exists between the two countries.

Since the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban has simply crossed into Pakistan, which may lead to fundamentalist groups such as al-Qaida getting their hands on nuclear weapons held by the Pakistani government.

Anyone who believed a Talibanless Afghanistan meant less of a threat to the U.S. is asked to think again.

The staggering amount of money paid by Americans to fund the war is the focus in “The Cost

of War.” It costs more to place a troop in Afghanistan than it did in any other war, affecting America’s economy.

The reasons range from high-cost supply routes to war profiteering by private contractors. Award winning authors and journalists, economists and soldiers explain this cause and effect. Frequently heard are the words billion and trillion, in plural form.

Having witnessed the war from afar, Americans do not realize the toll it has taken on the Afghan people. “Civilian Casualties” provides a front row seat. Greenwald visits Afghanistan to exclusively interview civilians that have been displaced from their homes. Many Afghanistanis live in tents surrounded by dirt with little to no water or food.

A large majority lost a limb or two while seeing family and friends killed by air strikes. The [See “Afghanistan,” page 13]

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

13

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Shanghai Sisters Flee War, Set New Roots in L.A.

By Angelica Fraire

EL VAQUERO CAMPUS EVENTS EDITOR

M

ost girls grow up with the idea of having the wedding of their dreams. However, for Pearl and May, two Chinese sisters, the dream wedding turns into an arranged marriage.

Lisa See’s novel “Shanghai Girls” is divided into three parts in which the main characters Pearl and May embark on a journey of a lifetime.

Pearl, 21, is the older of the two sisters, and is the plainer one. Both girls enjoy a nice wellto-do lifestyle in Shanghai until their father, Baba, gambles the family’s money away. He ends up going into debt. Soon, though, he makes a decision. “I’ve arranged marriages for the two of you; the ceremony will take place the day after tomorrow,” he says.

Both sisters meet their future husbands, Sam and Vernon, and

on July 24, 1937, the two couples go to the American Consulate to fill out forms for non quota immigration visas.

Pearl and May are so caught up in their Shanghai lives that they forget all about what is going around them until the sight of refugees reminds them that war between the Japanese and Chinese is reaching closer to home.

Pearl describes her war experience: “My eyes go white, my eardrums go silent, and my lungs stop working, as if the explosion has punched out my body’s knowledge of how to operate. A second later, another bomb goes through the roof of the Palace Hotel and explodes.

Debris, glass, paper, bits of flesh, and body parts, hurdle down on me.”

One tragedy after another occurs, and Pearl lacks the ability to realize what reality is. But See portrays Pearl with a limited

Movie Review [Afghanistan, from page 12]

anger and utter hopelessness expressed by the people urges you to view the war from a different perspective.

“Women in Afghanistan” depicts the life of Afghan women since the beginning of the war. According to reports by the mainstream media, the war liberated the women. It may seem so from the view of an outsider, but it could not be any cloudier. Prominent Afghan women help explain the conflicting views. Images of women burned by acid for exercising their rights grace the screen, surely to leave viewers squirming in their seats.

The last part of the film, “Security,” attempts to answer the question of whether or not the U.S. is safer now than before. The answer, provided by former CIA agents, is an overwhelming no. The agents and other experts reach an indirect consensus that deploying more troops does not equate to security.

“Rethink Afghanistan” will leave viewers scrambling to the Web with a bag of questions to Google. The problems with the film are few but crucial.

The fact that a former

member of the Russian Army, who failed in the Soviet War in Afghanistan, contends that Afghanistan is impossible to occupy comes as no surprise.

Interviews of high-ranking U.S. military officials, private contractors and Afghanistanis who have benefitted from the war are missing. Their views, pending they are rational, are as vital to rethinking Afghanistan.

Regardless, a majority of the expressed views remain objective and free of selfinterest, except for the wellbeing of the Afghan people and Americans alike.

As a whole, the documentary does a good job of rethinking Afghanistan and asking Americans to do the same.

Visit http:// rethinkafghanistan.com/ to watch it online.

A special screening of “Rethink Afghanistan, sponsored by El Vaquero, will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 11:30 a.m. in AD205. To reserve a seat, visit http:// rethink.bravenewtheaters. com/screening/show/13141glendale Daniel Choi can be reached at Daniel_Choi@elvaq.com

consciousness because she is a representation of how Chinese women might have thought during that time.

Pearl, May, and their mother Joy are forced to leave Shanghai without Baba, to travel south to the Grand Canal. Along the way both Pearl and her mother are raped several times by Japanese troops. Pearl watches her mother being tortured in front of her face while she is being raped herself, something See paints in vivid detail.

Pearl is there to see her mother die. Her mother’s death

is foremost in her thoughts when Pearl wakes up in the hospital after having surgery and is told that she might never have children.

After Pearl’s recovery, the sisters make their way to America. Their experience at the Angel Immigration Station in San Francisco is portrayed as if it were the typical discriminatory experience of every Chinese immigrant. But there is an unexpected twist: May reveals she is pregnant, and tells Pearl to raise the child as hers.

May’s revelation plays well with the rest of the family’s

misfortunes, allowing the reader to realize the true level of May’s consciousness. Most people would understand that May needs to become an adult; however her childlike character is allowed to continue.

Pearl’s big mistake is allowing May to go through with her plan.

As the older sister, she lacks the courage to say no to May’s misdeeds, making Pearl the weaker character.

However, the reader also understands portrayed as this rich [See Shanghai, page 14]

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

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ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

‘Durang Menagerie’ Delivers Hilarity

By Jesse Gutierrez

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

Cover Story

I

magine a show where the world of Tennessee Williams is combined with inappropriate hilarity and a dash of Shakespeare.

The Glendale College theater arts department is doing just that all month long in the auditorium, with Christopher Durang’s “The Durang Menagerie,” directed by Larry Biederman.

The show is a combination of four one-act plays written by Durang: “Mrs. Sorkin,” “For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls” (a take on Williams’ “The Glass Menagerie”), “Desire, Desire, Desire” (a take on Williams’ “A Streetcar Named Desire”), and “The Actors Nightmare.”

The evening begins with a woman emerging from behind the curtains as she gives the audience a general trivia lesson about the theater. She is later identified as Mrs. Sorkin, played by Amy Ackerman. Ackerman is very expressive and at times a bit over the top.

As Ackerman leaves the stage and the curtains open, “For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls” begins. Amanda (Ackerman) and her son Lawrence, played

by Aren Soulahian, are awaiting the arrival of her other son Tom, played by Ryan Rogers and his new girlfriend Ginny, played by Kim Turnbull.

When they finally arrive, the

night begins with Tom ripping his mother’s door off the hinges and Lawrence showing the very loud and overbearing Ginny his collection of precious glass cocktail stirrers, and ending with Ginny revealing that she is a lesbian.

The performance by Soulahian as the disabled Lawrence is hilarious, as he shows his collection multiple times throughout the act and each time the names that he has given the cocktail stirrers changes.

As the lights dim, the transition from one act to another begins.

Student Sherri Barnett said, “I really enjoyed the references from the classic plays throughout the first act.”

As the lights come back up and “Desire, Desire, Desire” begins, Blanche, played by Amanda Fontura, is on stage with Stanley (Soulahian) as they await the return of Stella, who has been gone for six years fetching Blanche a lemon Coke.

There is a knock at the door and a young man (Rogers) who is taking a survey enters the apartment, and the chaos begins.

First with Blanche asking the young man to join her in bed multiple times and ending with Stanley leaving with the young man to pursue a homosexual relationship.

Stanley eventually returns in a rabbit suit and the act ends where it began, with Blanche and Stanley awaiting the return of Stella.

Amanda Fontura in the role of

Book Review [Shanghai, from page 13]

and famous city, although it is new and strange to May and Pearl. Pearl remembers her native Shanghai as the jewel of China, the Paris of the Orient.

In the end, Sam commits suicide, and Joy feels responsible. Her need to know her real father drives her to go to China for answers.

However, leaving her family behind in Los Angeles might just be a sign of frustration.

Who can blame a child whose whole life just turned upside down? It is understandable.

Joy should not feel guilty

of anything. Sam’s death was expected because there is very little in the book that proves he is a strong man.

Overall, See’s book is an easy read with strong portrayals of what the Chinese went through.

Without a doubt, “Shanghai Girls” is a novel that brings to light the many difficulties that faced Chinese women during the middle of the 20th Century.

Angelica Fraire can be reached at Angelica_Fraire@elvaq.com

Blanche Dubious is the perfect mix of hilarity and insanity and was the standout role of the act.

The first two acts of the show make many references to Tennessee Williams, which “may be quite confusing to those who are not familiar with the original plays,” said Biederman.

As the final act, “The Actor’s Nightmare,” begins, the transition is cut short when a spotlight blares on George Spelvin, played Stephen Davalos, who is thrown into a play by the stage manager Meg (Turnbull) where he knows none of his lines or even the play he is in.

He is soon joined on stage by an actress Sarah Siddons, played by Amber Parker, who tells him they are performing Noel Coward’s “Private Lives,” but then another actress Ellen (Fontura) tells him they’re performing Samuel Beckett’s “Checkmate.”

As the scenes switch between “Private Lives” and “Hamlet,” George grows increasingly more frantic until the play ends with him playing Sir Thomas More in “A Man for All Seasons,” where he is beheaded, bringing the show to a close.

“Our goal with this show was trying to give a funny preview of

Photo by Shaun Kelly

CLASSICS WITH A TWIST: Kim Turnbull, back left, Aren Soulahian, middle, and Amy Ackerman, front, in “The Durang Menagerie.”

a handful of classic plays before we actually show a classic,” said Biederman.

“The Durang Menagerie” runs from Thursday to Sunday this week. For more information, call 818- 240-1000 ext. 5612.

The next production of the season is “A Streetcar Named Desire,” a true American classic, written by Tennessee Williams.

Jesse Gutierrez can be reached at jesse_gutierrez@elvaq.com

www.elvaq.com

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

15

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Gossip Is Here to Stay, and That’s a Good Thing

By Jesse Gutierrez

EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

I

t’s one thing to be an indie sensation and another thing to be pop superstars, few people experience both, but the pop-rock band Gossip will soon be among those people.

The three-piece former indie rock band is back after its 2006 indie success, “Standing in The way of Control.” No one is standing in their way now with the major label debut, “Music For Men.” The album starts off with a stomping drumbeat and slowly evolves into a slinky almost cabaret-style song with “Dimestore Diamond.” Then singer Beth Ditto chimes in with her soulful vocals and lyrics about a woman who disguises the fact that she’s poor by creating expensive looking outfits from a dime store.

The next track on the album, “Heavy Cross,” starts with a generic guitar riff but slowly evolves into a dance rock song that will get anyone out of their seat at a party. The lyrics are about the band’s reinvention and the friends that were there with them every step of the way.

Even though the first two tracks off the album are quite good, there is still no sign of Gossip’s signature aggressive punk style, which is what got them where they are. “8th Wonder” brings that style back, with drumbeats that could knock down walls, guitar riffs that could cut rock and powerful vocals that will tear the roof off of any concert hall.

Gossip does a full genre change with the next song “Love Long Distance,” a breakup song in the style of disco inferno with Ditto singing like Gloria Gaynor and, even quoting “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” with lines like “ I heard it through the bassline/ not much longer would you be my baby.”

For the next track, “Men in Love,” Gossip revisits their previous hit, “Standing In the Way of Control,” which was an anthem for every gay couple who wished they could get married.

The song starts by echoing Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools,” with the opening, “Shame, Shame, Shame,” which then evolves into the catchy chorus “Na, na, na, Men in love …With each other.”

“For Keeps” is an upbeat break-up, kiss-off song, which

finds Ditto singing about a former lover who has grown bored with her and now she wants “something different, something new.”

Along the same lines, “Love and Let Love” talks about Ditto and another lover, except this time she is calling it quits in this relationship. “I have visions of you/but not with me/ this is the last time I love and let love.”

The next song “Four letter word,” the closest song to a ballad on this album, seems like a follow up to the previous two songs Ditto sings, “ I never want to see your face again,” and “Love is a four letter word that should never be heard,” over an inspired synthesizer and disco ball beat.

The musicianship is nothing less than flawless on this album, but there is one problem: the blaring sound tends to cause some distortion. But that seems to be a common problem with rock albums of this generation.

For a major label debut, this album covers all the bases, including catchy lyrics and good musicianship, but at times it seems like the music is taking a back seat to the larger-than-life front woman Ditto. While this is not truly a problem for fans of the band, it may be seen as Ditto

DISCO WITH AN ’80s LOOK: Beth Ditto and Gossip deliver a dance album with a social consciousness.

selling out to the mainstream.

The final track on the album, “Pop Goes the World,” could be read as Gossip’s mission for the rest of 2009: “For once we’ll do what comes naturally/with no apology.”

“Music for Men” is the perfect foray into mainstream

pop and it’s only a matter of time before the world is bowing at Gossip’s feet.

 Jesse Gutierrez can be reached at jesse_gutierrez@elvaq.com

Correatown’s Music Sparks, but Never Fades

By Ashley Chang

EL VAQUERO ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

C

oronas, cupcakes, and Correatown graced the Echo Park club on Oct. 5 to kick off Correatown’s Monday night residency at The Echo, 1822 Sunset Blvd.

Angela Correa, also known as Correatown, celebrated her birthday along with her first night as the club’s Monday residency.

A disco ball and chandeliers dimly lit up the room as friends and fans packed the modest club, awaiting Correa’s arrival.

The worn-down stage resembled a one-car garage, occupied by broken amplifiers, wires, and unused instruments.

It was all the room the opening band, The Voyeurs, needed as they squeezed in Sean Johnson’s drums, Jonathan Hylander’s keyboard and guitar, and Elisha Maltinksy’s bass dead center.

The Highland Park trio,

outfitted in pinstripe dress shirts and slacks, began without hesitation, or an introduction – but don’t judge a book by its cover.

The Voyeurs’ electric performance consisted of drumsticks spinning in air, roaring guitar, and Hylander sporadically on his knees playing keyboard.

“Hey sound guy! How much time?” Johnson asked an hour into their set, which consisted of a perfect mix between Cursive’s contemporary sound and Spoon’s upbeat rock. And just like that, it was over.

There are no roadies here, no VIP service either. Bands at The Echo set up their own instruments while the club-goers wait. Some chat up the bartender for free beer while others occupy the outdoor patio, sheltered by a single canopy decorated with Christmas lights, park benches and recycle bins.

Puffing a cigarette and sipping his Corona in between sentences, Dave Endicott, 23, said, “I live a

few blocks away, so my friends and I come here a lot. It’s free [Mondays] and there’s rarely a bad show.”

Endicott and his friends made their way inside just as the band, Eagle and Talon, finished their set. Kim Talon (vocals) led the band and audience for a “Happy Birthday” song as Correa stood smiling next to fans, taking in the role reversal.

It wasn’t long until Correatown took the stage, putting her back in her comfort zone. “Fascination,” a song off her new album “Spark.

Burn.

Fade,” demonstrated Correa’s soulful voice and bittersweet lyrics.

Correa described her sound as a “ramble between acoustic indie … to slow folk tunes that waltz across the room.” Take it as you will, Correatown streams the best of Catpower’s capricious vocals and peeks into Rilo Kiley at their best.

Correatown beautifully played

“Green Cotton Dress,” a countrystyle tune that navigates a women’s “blurry Saturday night” with friends and the encounter of an ex-boyfriend.

As friends and fans proudly watched, Correa brought back an “oldie but goodie,” performing a fan favorite, “Racing Tides,” a song that would make Azure Ray proud.

The night went on and patrons

slowly exited the club, sure to remember the intimate celebration filled with Coronas, cupcakes, and Correatown.

Correatown will perform at The Echo every Monday night this month free of charge. For more information, visit www.attheecho.com Ashley Chang can be reached at Ashley_Chang@elvaq.com

AN ECHO YOU’LL WANT TO HEAR AGAIN: Correatown is the new band-in-residence at The Echo on Monday nights.

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

www.elvaq.com

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT / SPORTS

‘Horror Nights’ Brings Chainsaw Thrills

By Angelica Fraire

EL VAQUERO CAMPUS EVENTS EDITOR

See related photos pages 10-11

W

ant to experience a night of terror, where once you are inside there is no going back?

Universal Studios Hollywood transforms the night into your worst nightmares.

Halloween Horror Nights kicked off on Oct. 2 with terror, with help from Jigsaw, Chucky, and Michael Myers to name a few.

There were a variety of celebrities present at the premiere, including Tobin Bell, from the “Saw” franchise.

The minute guests walk through the front entrance, the

game is on because they are greeted by pig-faced minions and the chainsaw wielding Jigsaw.

At the end of the first scare zones on the left side there is the first maze called “Chucky’s Funhouse,” where Chucky leads an army of killer dolls in order to have his revenge on humanity.

And according to Gurvy Hoti, 19, “It [Chucky’s Funhouse] was pretty scary, when there are no people in front of me, because then I do not know what is going to happen next.”

The road continues through “New York Street,” another scare zone where Hell is transformed on Earth with flaming towers above your head. The theme here is promoting the seven deadly sins.

Next there is a choice to go to the right where the “My Bloody Valentine: Be Mine 4 Ever” maze is located, or to the left where the third maze, “Halloween: The Life & Crimes of Michael Myers,” is stationed along with a third scare zone called “The Meat Market.”

There is always the option of taking the “Terror Tram: Live or Die!” in the back lot. However, according to Jennifer Adam, 40, from Torrance, “There are too many chainsaws, not enough monsters.”

While on the tram, people get a sneak peak of the new “Saw VI” movie coming soon to theaters. along with other previews like “Wolfman,” which will come out February 2010.

Located on the left side of

the park is “The Rocky Horror Picture Show…a tribute.” This is a tribute to the mad scientist by the name Doctor Frank-N-Furter and all the Transylvanians in the production.

On the way out, there is no way to escape the next two scares zones which leads to another live show called “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure.”

This show is a comedy satire dealing with this year’s celebrity screw-ups and pop culture.

Moving towards the lower lot of the park down the escalators, people are greeted with the last of six scare zones. This zone is called “There Will Be Blood,” which leads to the last maze, “Saw: Game Over!!”

This maze takes visitors

through Jigsaw’s twisted world.

At the end of the journey, people truly feel scared and terrified.

According to Universal Studios, this event is recommended for mature audiences and urges parents with children under the age of 13 to reconsider visiting Horror Nights.

Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights is opens at 7 p.m. nightly and closing hours vary until Oct. 31.

Advanced purchase of general admission is $41. Tickets bought at the door are $56. For more information call 818-622- 5140.

Visit www.elvaq.com for exclusive slideshow coverage.

Angelica Fraire can be reached at Angelica_Fraire@elvaq.com

‘Omnicentric Universe’ Orbits Planetarium

By Aris Allahverdian EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

A

cosmic rollercoaster ride through “The Omnicentric Universe” is taking place in the school’s own Planetarium Gazing into the dark matter of space, drifting into a timeless abyss, a bright glowing streak of light breaks the mysterious calmness into many little particles that begin to dance crossways and gracefully float across the audience.

Then, out of nowhere, the crowd begins flying through an object created in an omnicetric universe while being serenaded with an out of this world score, all while in their comfortable seats at GCC’s planetarium.

Originator J.Walt Adamczyk gives a ride through a magical 3-D universe in an exciting new live performance known as virtual reality performance, called “The Omnicentric Universe, a Spontaneous Fantasia.”

Adamczyk’s new original show is a 3-D digital canvas allowing him to conduct the creation of a new world at the tips of his hands.

Thirty minutes prior to the show, Adamczyk executes a rehearsal where he loosens up both his imagination and body by performing a test run over his equipment. “The heart of this new show takes place on this planet I

created over here,” he said, as he controls flight from one tip of the galaxy to another.

Using one hand on the tablet and the other to control the movement, he zooms into his planet and begins to carve out canyons and oceans, and paints the planet with colors of uncharted land where he then applies the valleys.

“This section of the piece I am drawing landscape. I am actually drawing the mountains here, then drawing the water in here,” he said.

An expert in digital puppetry and animation, Adamczyk graduated from USC and CalArts and is highly reputable in his production skills, previously working along side numerous companies such as Disney and Sony, major theme parks and video game companies. With all this on his plate it is amazing he finds time to create this visual Kindle that not only satisfies the eyes but leaves your brain in a 3D rollercoaster.

“I created interface that allows me to draw in 3-D and move around in 3-D. It is very improvisational, very gestural.

I can go anywhere from the purely abstract to create a whole environment with creatures and plants,” said Adamczyk, who has been performing live since 2003.

During the show the environment was calm and cozy,

the firm seats automatically leaned back to give viewers a more relaxed view of the planetarium ceiling. The audience giggled out of excitement at times, as well as gasped with awe during the shows stimulating moments where colorful shapes intermix with each other leaving behind a magnificent view. At times it has similar elements to the newly popular 3-D films in movie theatres, with comets flying towards the audinece’s face … minus the annoying glasses.

The greatest part about “A Spontaneous Fantasia” is the fact that it is an improvised show, which automatically implies the high risk of adding more drama and excitement, which is expected at any performance in front of an audience.

“The fun of doing things in real time is you can explore and create. It didn’t get translated into a movie or into something that’s fixed and always repeats … I realized live performance [is] a lot more exciting,” said Adamczyk.

Having that showmanship and talent, can be technological considered a renaissance man who finds it rewarding to perform for people.

Concluding the performance, Adamczyk hosts a few moments of Q-and-A where he willingly takes a number of questions for his audience to get a more indepth idea of the man and the

magic.

“The show was better then a movie!” said Cherry Yau, a freshman graphic design major.

“The fact that it wasn’t meant to be 3-D makes it even cooler because you really feel like you’re flying. In a 3-D movie you adapt and know what’s going to happen.”

“The Omnicentric Universe, A Spontaneous Fantasia” will be performing Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. and Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m.

For more on Adamczyk’s virtual reality performance tour, visit www.spontaneousfantasia. com Aris Allahverdian can be reached at Aris_Allahverdian@elvaq.com

Give Me A Break!

Football Bye Week

By Chloe Vignolles-Jeong EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

T

he Vaqueros football team didn’t play a game this week because it was their bye week, and now after endless reviews of film and cardio workouts, everyone is left to wonder: will the Vaqueros step up their game and beat the College of the Canyons Cougars this Saturday?

The answer: “We will be ready for College of the Canyons,” said second-year head Coach John Rome.

Coming into the bye week the Vaqs are 3-2 on the season, and 0-1 in the Western State Conference.

With a few injuries and some

misunderstandings, the Vaqs are still ranked fairly high.

“Defensively I’m very happy with the progress that we’ve made, we play very good defense,” said Rome.

And indeed, they do. Currently the defense is ranked 10th in the state and first in pass defense. Leading defensive players include Rene Howard, Josh Harmon, Kalii Robinson, and Osa Aikhionbare.

Howard leads the defense with 33 tackles, one sack, an interception, two forced fumbles and one blocked field goal. Harmon is also among the top with 30 tackles, three interceptions and a [See Football, page 17]

www.elvaq.com

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

17

SPORTS

Vaqueros Attacked by Pirates in Ventura

By Chloe Vignolles-Jeong EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

T

he Glendale Vaqueros sailed some rocky waters in their conference opener, as they fell to the Pirates 20-13 on Oct. 3 at Ventura College.

The night was chilly and windy, perfect for a Saturday night football game; however, the Vaqs struggled and dropped their record to 3-2.

The offense racked up 179 yards and had possession of the ball for 30:27. Unfortunately for them it wasn’t enough time.

Early in the first quarter, the defense had a seven-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Rene Howard that put the Vaqs up on the scoreboard 6-3, after the Pirates had scored a field goal on their opening drive.

A fumble by quarterback Steve Miller at the Glendale 11-yard line with 2:08 remaining in the first quarter was recovered by the Pirates, which resulted in a field goal. The score was 6-6 at the end of the quarter.

At the top of the second quarter, the Vaqs had possession.

Six plays and 20 yards later, they punted the ball to the Ventura 3-yard line. The Pirates took possession and moved 97 yards to score a touchdown, giving them a 13-6 lead.

Glendale took possession for the last time in the first half at their own 18-yard line. With 50 seconds remaining, Miller threw an interception at the Glendale 30yard line but offsetting penalties, a holding against Ventura and a personal foul against Glendale, gave the ball back to Vaqueros.

They were unable to carry the ball down field, and the first half came to an end.

Ventura began the half on their own 38-yard line. The drive ended with a one-yard rushing touchdown with the extra point good, bringing the Pirates up 206.

With 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter, the Vaqs’ defense read the play and stopped what could have possibly been another Pirate touchdown when Josh Harmon intercepted the ball in the end zone, resulting in a touchback.

The Vaqueros once again took possession at their own 20-yard line, but had to punt the ball.

Harmon intercepted another pass at the Glendale one-yard line,

taking away another possibility for a Pirate touchdown.

Glendale began their drive with 14:05 remaining in the game.

Running backs Anthony Dawkins and Joe Wiggan were the leading rushers on the drive. Glendale advanced 85 yards down the field, where Wiggan made a jump above the clashing O-line and D-line to make a one-yard touchdown, bringing the score to 20-13.

The Vaquero defense continued to play until the last second. With 4:05 remaining in the game, defensive back Osa Aikhionbare intercepted the ball at the Ventura 34-yard line. The Vaqs took possession for the last time but with fourth down and eight yards to go, Miller’s incomplete pass to tight end Dylan Ryan turned the ball back over to the Pirates, effectively ending the game.

Wiggan led the rushing offense with 14 carries and 66 yards. Dawkins had 12 carries for 29 yards. Jorge Chaidez had eight carries for 10 yards. Willie Youngblood had four carries for nine yards, but was taken out of the game after an injury in the second quarter.

Brian Williams led the

Photo by Richard Kontas

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE: Vaquero Joe Wiggan (8) charges through the Pirates’ defense on one of his 14 carries for 66 yards against Ventura. receiving offense with three receptions for 36 yards. Eudell Clayton had one catch for 12 yards. Reinaldo Reyes had one catch for nine yards.

Joey Orlandini led the defense

with eight tackles. Harmon had six tackles, and two interceptions for 14 yards. Osa Aikhionbare also had six tackles with one interception.

The Vaqueros had a bye last

week, and will resume conference play on Saturday against at Canyons College at 7 p.m.

two games. He’s completed less than 50 percent of his passes and has thrown five interceptions. He has thrown for 690 yards total and 7 touchdowns. Rome commented on the pressure that Miller has been under.

“The pressure that the quarterback feels has got him throwing off his back foot. He’s been throwing a little tentative, and that hurts the offense and also hurts the running game.”

Even with the pressure Miller has been feeling, Rome has faith in him. He believes that Miller will come right back and that the offensive line will help him rebound for this weekend’s game against the Cougars.

Rome is also impressed with all the returning players. He said that the players were at the school

five days a week at 6:30 a.m. to lift weights in the offseason and it has shown in the way the team has performed so far in the season. As well as improving physically, the players have also improved academically.

During the bye week, the team has continued to practice.

They have tried to get better as a team, rather than game planning. They are improving as football players, and using the week to fix the small problems the team has faced.

All in all, the bye week couldn’t have come at a better time.

Chloe Vignolles-Jeong can be reached at Chloe_Jeong@elvaq.com

Football Team [Football, from page 16] fumble recovery for a touchdown. Robinson has 27 tackles, one interception and a fumble recovery, which also lead to a touchdown.

Aikhionbare has 20 tackles and two interceptions.

Other standout players include Max Williams with 16 tackles and two interceptions.

Jesse Halberstadt has 14 tackles and 3.5 sacks.

The offense has been struggling with an injury to a lineman, Bobby Pardo, which has hurt the running game and also the passing game.

After a hot start, the Vaqs are averaged just 8.6 points a game over the past three games.

“Our offense on the other hand, an injury to one of our offensive lineman has proved that we need to improve our offensive line play,” said Rome. “I think that affects

how our offense has progressed.”

The rushing offense is led by Jorge Chaidez, Willie Younglbood, and Joe Wiggan.

Chaidez has carried the ball 87 times, has 447 yards, and two touchdowns. Youngblood has 65 carries for 209 yards, and two touchdowns. Wiggan has 22 carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns.Wiggan has four receptions for 66 yards and two touchdowns.

Along with Wiggan, the receiving offense includes Brian Williams and Eudell Clayton.

Williams has connected with the quarterback 13 times, for 202 yards and three touchdowns.

Clayton has 11 receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns.

Other players include Dylan Ryan with six receptions for 67 yards, Nick Bryan with four receptions for 40 yards, and Steve Batista with four receptions for 73 yards.

Quarterback Steve Miller has been under pressure for the past

Chloe Vignolles-Jeong can be reached at Chloe_Jeong@elvaq.com

For more stories, slideshows and online exclusives, visit:

www.elvaq.com

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

www.elvaq.com

SPORTS

‘Passive’ Vaqs Lose to Santa Barbara

By Aris Allahverdian EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

T

he Glendale Vaqueros went up against Santa Barbara’s Vaqueros in a division match in the Western State Conference Friday night at Sartoris Field, and the outcome wasn’t pretty.

Glendale lost 4-0, dropping their record to 0-3-1. Last season they fell to SBCC in the final moments of the match, 2-1.

Feelings of revenge before the game might have been on players’ minds, but the match turned out to be a disappointment.

Immediately after kick off, Glendale came out aggressive and intense, hustling towards the ball and challenging every opportunity. Yet 10 minutes into the game, the match turned into a battle of field position. While Santa Barbara’s goalie was mostly busy yelling ball locations for his teammates, Glendale’s goalie Edwin Cabrera was flying left and right and up and down, fighting off shot attempts.

“We have unfortunately suffered some lapse of focus where we have struggled with teams that we really shouldn’t be struggling with,” said assistant Coach Laura Matsumoto.

Glendale struggled with ball movement. Every chance they had on offense they were immediately surrounded by Santa Barbara’s players. Glendale failed to be creative with the attack. They didn’t manage to get any proper crosses and struggled to have successful drives.

Every chance they got, they would would come in from the sides and forcefully attempt to drive it in, forgetting to pass the ball to oncoming teammates.

Glendale failed to take any shots on target for the whole game but managed to get one shot way off, high to the right of the goal in the first half.

The four goals scored by SBCC were split. The first two goals were in the 11th minute and another in the seventh minute, concluding the first half. After the halftime break, it was noticeable that Glendale’s attitude to the game didn’t change. While Santa Barbara was moving the ball playing in a paced rhythm, Glendale played as if they were alone on the field.

Sophomore defenders Juan Castro and Efrain Molina were busy fighting off the waves of attacks from Santa Barbara, controlling the whole game. Santa Barbara finished the second half with two more goals within three minutes. The last goal was a free kick directly over three Glendale players.

It seemed as if Glendale left their sportsmanship in the locker room. Receiving two yellow charges in the second half, freshman midfielder Eduardo Quevedo and defender Rudis Lazo were both booked with yellow cards, which were the only bookings for the game.

“We’re suffering from a lot of things. One of the issues we’re facing is being too passive and not playing disciplined soccer,” said Matsumoto.

Facing the defending WSC champions is no easy task, but not committing to performance seemed to be the issue for Glendale. Last season, Glendale finished with a record of 7-6-1 in the WSC, so they know what its like to win; they just have to return to that mentality.

“We have one of the most talented teams individually, now it’s a matter of taking that and making it collectively work,” said Matsumoto.

Glendale plays at Citrus College on Saturday at 4 p.m.

Aris Allahverdian can be reached at Aris_Allahverdian@elvaq.com

Photo by Richard Kontas

KICKIN’ IT WITH THE VAQUEROS: Vaquero midfielder Arman Asrian struggles with Santa Barbara for possession during Friday’s loss at Sartoris Field, 4-0.

Vaquero Sports Summaries Scores Football:

Oct. 3: lost to Ventura College 20-13

Women’s Soccer:

Oct. 2: tied to Citrus College 0-0 Oct. 6: lost to Santa Monica College 1-0 Oct. 9: defeated L.A. Mission College 1-0

Women’s Volleyball:

Oct. 2: defeated Oxnard College 3-0 Oct. 6: defeated West L.A. College 3-0 Oct. 9: defeated Santa Monica College 3-1

photos, articles, slideshows and more:

www.elvaq.com

Oct. 2: lost to Moorpark College 1-0 Oct. 6: lost to College of the Canyons 3-1 Oct. 9: lost to Santa Barbara College 4-0

Cross Country:

Oct. 3: Foothill Invitational: Women finished 1st. Men finished 2nd.

Oct. 10: WSC Preview: Both men and women finished 1st.

Upcoming Events Football:

Saturday: at College of the Canyons 7 p.m.

Oct. 24: vs. Bakersfield College 6 p.m.

Women’s Soccer:

El Vaq Online

Men’s Soccer:

Friday: vs. Canyons at GCC 7 p.m.

Oct. 20: at L.A. Pierce College 4 p.m.

Oct. 23: vs. Bakersfield College at GCC 7 p.m.

Oct. 27: at Citrus College 4 p.m.

Women’s Volleyball:

Friday: at College of the Canyons 7 p.m.

Oct. 20: vs. Citrus College at GCC 7 p.m.

Oct. 27: vs. Bakersfield College at GCC 7 p.m.

Men’s Soccer:

Friday: at Citrus College 4 p.m.

Oct. 20: at L.A. Mission College 4 p.m.

Oct. 23: vs. Hancock College at GCC 5 p.m.

Oct. 27: at Moorpark College 4 p.m.

Cross Country:

Friday: Southern Cal Preview at Mt. Sac 10 a.m.

Oct. 27: WSC Finals at Cuesta College 3:30 p.m.

For more information visit: www.glendale.edu/athletics/

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

19

Calendar On Campus events “Rethink Afghanistan” — The Journalism Department, including El Vaquero newspaper and Insider Magazine, is hosting a screening of “Rethink Afghanistan.”

This will be a casual meeting with students and faculty members. Members of the community are welcome to join. There will be a discussion of the journalistic aspects of the film afterward.

Thursday at 11:30 a.m. in AD 205. Admission is free.

GCC Swap Meet — Upper campus lot. Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free and open to public. For more information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5805.

Tupperware Scholarship Fundraiser — This fundraiser is sponsored by the Classified Council.

Tupperware items will be on display. Today from 11:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. on the Library patio.

Transfer Fair — Colleges and universities from throughout California will be on campus with information about their schools.

Representatives will also be available to help students and answer any questions. Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the San Rafael Plaza.

exhibitions Mama-San — A exhibit curated by artist Young Chung runs Saturday through Dec. 5 in the art

gallery off the foyer of the library. An artists’ reception will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday. Gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

For information, call (818) 2401000, ext. 5663.

theater “The Durang Menagerie” — This show features an evening of one-acts by Christopher Durang presented by the Theatre Arts Department. Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Auditorium Studio Theatre. Admission is $10 for adults and $6 for students. Reservations are strongly advised.

There will be no late seating. For more information, visit www.

glendale.edu/theatrearts or call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5612.

planetarium “Evening with the Stars” — This planetarium show will introduce the stars, constellations and planets visible in the night sky during the fall season. Friday at 7 and 8:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under.

“Spontaneous Fantasia” — This show is a real-time animation created live by J. Walt Adamczyk, an interactive designer, filmmaker, graphic artist and composer, for the full dome digital theater. Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults

and $6 for children 12 and under.

Tickets may be purchased at the door. To reserve seats, email planetarium@glendale.edu or call (818) 551-5275.

lectures “Becoming American: A Psychological Analysis” — The speaker will be psychology professor Mike Dulay. Oct. 22 from noon to 1 p.m. in Kreider Hall.

Free and open to the public.

“Asian American History: From Opium Wars to Gold Mountain” — The speaker will be history instructor Hazel Ramos. Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. in Kreider Hall. Free admission.

Around Town events Halloween Harvest Festival — Pierce College, 20800 Victory Blvd., Woodland Hills. Venture through the Adventure Corn Maze, or take a spooky journey into the Haunted House or Creatures of the Corn Haunted Trail.

Also farm animals, hay rides, bungee bounce, rock wall, giant slide and pony rides for the kids. Now through Nov. 1. Festival admission is $4 for adults and children.

Activities have different ticket prices. For more information, including festival hours, visit www. halloweenharvestfestival.com or call (818) 999-6300.

The Pumpkin Fair — Dixie Canyon Avenue School, 4220 Dixie Canyon Avenue, Sherman Oaks.

Come enjoy a fun-filled day with rides, carnival games, a haunted house, arts and crafts, pumpkin painting, a costume contest, and exciting entertainment including the Lakers Girls. Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission to the fair is free. Rides and games require tickets. For more information, visit www.thepumpkinfair. com or call (818) 784 6283.

Boo at the Zoo — Los Angeles Zoo, 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles. Boo at the Zoo features fun

Halloween festivities including pumpkin patches, jack-o-lantern carving, entertainment, tasty treats, face painting, wacky mirrors, and an amusement zone filled with games. Oct. 24 through the 25 and Oct. 31 through Nov. 1.

The festival is free with paid Zoo Admission, $13 for adults and $8 for children. For information, including festival hours, visit www. lazoo.org or call (323) 644-4200.

exhibitions Sites of Latin American Abstraction — Museum of Latin American Art, 628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach. This exhibition offers an entirely new conception of historic geometric abstract art in Latin American from 1930 to 1970. 146 works of drawings, paintings, sculpture and photography will be on display now through Jan. 17. General admission is $9 and $6 for students and seniors. For more information, visit www.molaa. org or call (562) 437-1689.

Wayne Thiebaud: 70 Years of Painting — Pasadena Museum of California Art, 490 E. Union St., Pasadena. This exhibition presents a survey of more than 120 works drawn from the the celebrated painter Wayne Thie-

baud Oct. 4 through Jan. 31. Admission prices are $7 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.

Museum hours vary. For more information, visit www.pmcaonline.org or call (626) 568-3665.

In Focus: The Worker — The Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles. Drawn exclusively from the Museum’s collection, this exhibition brings together more than 40 photographs that demonstrate shifting attitudes toward the worker over the 19th and 20th centuries. Nov. 3 through March 21. Museum hours vary.

Admission is free. Parking is $10.

For more information, visit www. getty.edu or call (310) 440-7300.

From the Spoon to the City — Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Curated by Bobbye Tigerman, this exhibition will be organized into four chronological groups, based on particularly fertile moments in design history and featuring works by Frank Lloyd Wright, Marcel Breuer, Rudolph Schindler, Richard Neutra, and many other artists. Now through Jan. 24. Admission is $12 for adults and $8 for students.

Museum hours vary. For more information, visit www.lacma.org or call (323) 857-6000.

theater “Crime and Punishment” — A Noise Within, 234 S. Brand Blvd.

This new adaptation of the Dostoevsky novel explores the exquisite fragility of the mind. In a desperate quest to be redeemed for the perpetration of an unspeakable crime, Raskolnikov embodies humankind’s eternal struggle between enlightened genius and the temptation of evil. Oct. 10 through Dec. 17. For information including ticket prices, visit www.anoisewithin.org or call (818) 240-0910.

music The Disney Symphonic Legacy — Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Blvd., Los Angeles.

This show features John Mauceri and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra as they play classic scores from Disney films. Oct. 20 at 8 p.m. Ticket prices vary. For more information, visit www.laphil. org or call (323) 850-2000.

“Four Seasons” — Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd. The German composer Felix Mendelssohn, whose vibrant symphony was inspired by his own travels, reveals

his 19th century impressions of Rome and Naples. Saturday at 8 p.m. Ticket prices vary. For more information, visit www.alextheatre.org or call (818) 243-2539.

wellness Meditations for a Happy Life — Shoseian Whispering Pine Teahouse. 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale. The Kadampa Meditation Center California presents meditation classes Sundays from 10:15 to 11:45 a.m. with instructor Sandy Schulman. Admission is $12 per class. For more information, visit www.meditateinla. org.

Free Health Clinic — Open Tuesdays 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. On a first-come, first-served basis. 134 N. Kenwood St., third floor, room 330. No job-related physicals are offered. For more information visit www.glendaleclinic.org or call (818) 243-2105, ext. 202.

Free Yoga in the Park— Runyon Canyon Park, 2000 Fuller Drive, Los Angeles. Free yoga lessons every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:30 p.m. For more information, call (323) 666-5046.

Compiled by Tina Hagopian

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Wednesday, October 14, 2009

www.elvaq.com

VAQUERO VIEWS

K-9s Attack Verdugo Park Photos by Allan Beglarian

TAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME: Officers Aron Hamilton and K-9 Quwai, top, and Maribel Feeley along with her dog Yudy, bottom, want to remind criminals that they may be able to run but they can’t hide from Glendale’s K-9 units. See article at www.elvaq.com.