Sept. 23, 2005

EL VAQUERO Glendale College

www.elvaq.com

Volume 88 Number 1

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2005

IN THIS ISSUE

Big Bash Brings Football Back to Campus

NEWS New Athletic Field brings football home to GCC.

By PAULINE GUIUAN EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

T

here was a festive mood in the air.

Dozens of round white tables flanked with chairs filled the walkway from behind

the corner of the administration building to the Camino Real area. A band played lively music from a platform set up adjacent to the San Gabriel building, and the scent of barbecue filled the air as a few hundred alumni talked and mingled.

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

Page 3

FEATURE

Sartoris Field Celebration.

Pages 8-9

ART

Big changes at GCC Gallery:new director and new show.

Also, Tropico Artists Collective features GCC photographers.

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

This was the scene that met the eye at about 5 p.m. Sept. 3 on the Glendale Community College campus. Roughly 400 alumni, current students, and members of the GCC staff and administration gathered to witness the much-awaited opening and dedication of the Sartoris Field and the Andy Reid scoreboard and to watch the first football game ever to be held on campus.

The nearly $4-million renovation of the athletic field is a milestone in the history of the college, marking the first time a state-of-the-art sports facility was constructed on campus and paving the way for various sports games such as football, soccer, and track and field to finally be held on the grounds. The field is also available for rental to community groups and local organizations.

The opening ceremonies for the field had the feel of a weekend party. The food enjoyed by the 380 guests included burgers, fruit, salad and chocolate cake. A colorful mini-bar that served martinis was also set up by the Science Center.

The dedication kicked off with a speech

by President Dr. John Davitt. He welcomed back all the visiting alumni and recognized the members of the Board of Trustees who were present as well as those who had organized the event.

Athletic Director Jim Sartoris stands in front of the Andy Reid scoreboard above the new football field named for him. See related photos on pages 8-9.

See ALUMNI, Page 6

Campus Quickly Responds to Katrina Disaster

By JANE POJAWA EL VAQUERO EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

I Photo by Jane Pojawa

Greg “El Grego” Griffin of the Tropico Artists Collective

PAGES 7 AND 14

N E W S ...................2-3 FEATURE.......................13 SPORTS .........................11 ENTERTAINMENT............7 CALENDAR....................15

n a rapid response supporting the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the college held a town hall meeting Sept. 7 pledging aid to the victims, and President John Davitt has proposed plans to accommodate students who have been displaced from their homes and campuses.

The meeting was called by Steven White, Vice President of Instructional Services, to discuss the implications of the hurricane for GCC. Members of the American Red Cross, the student government (ASGCC), the

Alpha Gamma Sigma academic honors society, a large contingent of hearing-impaired students, and other concerned students and staff members gathered to discuss what GCC could do to support the victims of the hurricane. Red Cross representative Ronald M. Farina, addressing the meeting, declared that the destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina is “the worst disaster (the American Red Cross) has ever seen.”

Fund-raising for worthy causes is a time-honored practice on campus, and recent beneficiaries of this generous spirit have been the victims of Sept. 11 and the tsunami in Southeast Asia.

Various campus organizations, the student government chief among them, have set up “donation centers” all over campus. The proceeds from the jugs at the cash register in the cafeteria or on the counter in the ITS building go directly to the Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross; so do the proceeds from the sale of the ribbons that are being made by Victor Castellanos and the staff of Admissions and Records. As of of Sept. 3, the jug collection totaled $718.

The Red Cross, founded in 1905, is considered to be one of the most credible disaster relief

Photo by Jane Pojawa

Ribbons for relief: Victor Castellanos of Admissions and Records is raising money for the Red Cross.

See HURRICANE, Page 5

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Friday, September 23, 2005

www.elvaq.com

LETTERS

Dance Department Responds to Story The following letters are in response to an article that ran in the El Vaquero on June 3, the last issue of the spring, under the headline “Dance Students Question Department Decisions.”

There were problems associated with this article that are touched on in the responses below. Chief among the problems are the fact, only discovered after the article ran, that the writer’s brother was among the unnamed sources in the article. This was a conflict of interest that El Vaquero strictly forbids, and which may have colored the article. Also, the article

relies too much on unnamed sources.

In the future, the policy of the paper is to use unnamed sources only in extraordinary cases. This story could have been reported with sources that agreed to go on record. Finally, the writer admitted in hindsight that the use of quotes in the article may have given a false impression of the views of the sources. Shortly after the article ran in El Vaquero, the staff had the article removed from the paper’s Web site and its link to search engines. El Vaquero regrets whatever harm may have been caused by this article.

— Editor

Article Called Misleading I would think that since an article condemning the work of a whole department and their faculty was being published on the front page in the last issue of the school paper, making any form of rebuttal impossible before ramifications of the article could be felt in enrollment for the summer or the following semester, special care would be taken to verify the following before publishing.

For an article to be published as a front-page story of any paper, three things (at least) should be verified: 1. That the author has no obvious bias or vested interest in the subject being presented.

That was not done here.

2. That people on all sides of the issue be interviewed. That was not done either. 3. That the people interviewed be quoted correctly and in context to what they have said. That was not done.

This carelessness has resulted in the paper being used by a “handful of students” to further the agenda of a disgruntled faculty member in an issue that has been ongoing since 1999.

Some facts: — The author of the article is the brother of a student who has

been the leader in a dispute with the Dance Department over not hiring Barbara Erfurt as a teacher of Jazz.

— None of the part time faculty in the dance department were interviewed.

— Barbara Erfurt is a fulltime tenured instructor, and teaches dance as overload when no other regular dance faculty member is available.

— Melissa Randel is not a part-time teacher. She is a 60 percent contract employee and has lost hours because she was a full-time leave replacement for Dora Krannig, who returned.

— Melissa Randel was misquoted and taken completely out of context. Her words were twisted to seem that she agreed with Ms. Erfurt and the small group of students and made to seem in conflict with the Dance Department. She is not.

— None of the hundreds of students who have an opinion other than that of those “handful of students” were interviewed.

— The “handful” of students took one of the “old” full-time faculty members’ technique class and gave her glowing evaluations, while saying the opposite in the article. Were their evaluations a joke or were they lying or misquoted in the article?

— None of the many students who have taken (and passed) my Jazz I & II class were interviewed.

— None of the many students

of the actual part-time teachers of the department was interviewed.

All of the “handful” took my Production class and profited from the smash success of the run of these concerts.

This article was about one dissatisfied teacher’s issue, not about the program of the Dance Department, even though the result of the article could endanger the enrollment of the department.

The numbers used in the article were misleading and incomplete. The week before the articled appeared the Dance Department had just completed a week of dance performances that broke all records as to attendance and quality of work.

This series was lauded in the local press and by the college community. Not one word was printed in the El Vaquero even though a photographer was sent to cover the event.

I will not take up your time by arguing my fitness to teach, even though the article was a personal attack on me. It will suffice to let my record of experience on the stage, film, TV, and the classroom to do that.

Anyone who wishes may have access to all my student and peer evaluations, present past, or future.

I would like to now discuss the obvious prejudice of ageism expressed in the article and apparently condoned by the paper since the subject was not even questioned in the article.

It was simply taken for granted that teachers who were “old” could not teach dance, even though a lead article in the past issue praised a political science teacher for his “long life experience” and what an asset that was to the students. In Los Angeles, the “culture” is by its nature ageist and we live in an environment of the worship of youth. This is not a message we wish to reinforce with our students.

Your printing of this article undermines what we have been trying to do for many years.

The mission of the Dance Department is contained in the first sentence in our brochure: “The program is structured to introduce students to the joy of movement through dance and an appreciation of dance as an art form.”

The unfortunate facts are that the performing part of a dance career is but a small part of what is available to the choreographic artist. This fleeting phase is possible only from the age of 17 or 18 to the mid-30s if one is very lucky.

It is an unfortunate fact that most of our students have already passed this possibility due to a lack of training at an early age.

This does not mean that our students cannot have successful careers in the field. There are many options that are available to them and one of the Dance Department’s prime missions is to acquaint our students with these options.

Lynn McMurrey Glendale Community College Dance Department Co-Chair

EL VAQUERO Glendale College Newspaper

Editor in Chief JANE POJAWA Online Editor MICHAEL J. ARVIZU Staff Members PAULINE GUIUAN VIOLETA ARRAZOLA ELIZABETH LINARES ALISON GELLE OLIVER TAN OLGA RAMAZ Design Adviser CHARLES EASTMAN Photography Adviser LIANE ENKELIS 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 Maria_Kornalian@elvaq.com or call (818) 240 - 1000, ext. 5349.

Faculty Adviser

Advertising

MICHAEL MOREAU

HEATHER GLENN

mmoreau@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000 EXT. 5214

hglenn@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000 EXT. 5767

Send Letters to the Editor Letters may be reproduced in full or in part and represent only the point of view of the writer, not the opinion of El Vaquero or Glendale College and its district. Letters must be signed and typed including the full name and address of the writer. El Vaquero is a First Amendment publication.

EL VAQUERO 1500 N. Verdugo Road Glendale, CA 91208 (818) 240-1000 ext. 5349

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Friday, September 23, 2005

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N EW S

Football Enters New Era on Campus

By VIOLETA ARRAZOLA EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

T

he newly renovated and newly named athletic field on campus is like a dream come true to any athlete who has the privilege to play and compete on it.

Sartoris field, which is named after longtime football coach and current Director of Athletics, Jim Sartoris, had its grand opening on Sept. 3 in conjunction with the football team’s first ever game played at home.

The Vaqueros, who have had a football team since 1928 and have had to play all their home games at Glendale High’s Moyse field, had never had the opportunity to play on home turf. They now have that opportunity and what an opportunity they are getting. “ This is probably one of the highlights of my career in the 30 years that I’ve worked at GCC,” said head football coach John Cicuto. “ The field is a great facility and it’s an absolute thrill for me as well as for the students, players and faculty to

finally get to play at home.”

The field, which will also be the home field of the Vaqueros men’s and women’s soccer and track teams, is located behind the auditorium and has a great

passed by Glendale voters in 2002 to fund construction projects on campus, including the athletic field.

The scoreboard, which was not included in the project, was

Photo by Cynthia Perry

President John Davitt and Jim Sartoris at the field dedication ceremony.

view of the Verdugo mountains, has state-of-the-art lighting, new bleachers, artificial turf, (which replaced the old dirt track and grass field ), and most noticeably, a beautiful scoreboard.

The nearly $4 million renovation of the field comes from a $98 million bond initiative

donated by Andy Reid, a former Vaquero football player in 19761977 and now head coach to the Philadelphia Eagles. Reid and his family gave the college $75,000 to install the scoreboard.

“For myself and for my teammates, I thank for you for all you’ve done for us,” said Reid,

to his former coach Sartoris, during a phone conversation which was broadcasted to the crowd at the pre-game festivities held on campus.

The Glendale College Foundation also started an “endowment type thing” said Sartoris, where people could donate money to help with equipment and maintenance needs of the field for years to come. As of now, the foundation has raised $200,000 for the field.

Sartoris, who feels “tremendously honored” to have the athletic field named after him, has longtime ties to Vaquero athletics. He was a student and football player at GCC in 1962 and after attending the University of Washington and majoring in history, returned to GCC in 1967 to be an assistant coach for the football team. He went on to become a full-time teacher in 1969, head coach of the football team in 1972, in which he posted a 111-63-1 record, and eventually became Director of Athletics in 1985, a position he still holds today.

Some of the duties Sartoris

takes on as Director of Athletics are the scheduling of the games for all Vaquero sport teams, managing the budget, making sure each student athlete meets the rules and regulations of eligibility, and also complying to state rules for athletic participation.

Besides being excited that the athletic field is named after him, Sartoris is even more excited with the unity and enthusiasm the field will bring on campus.

Along with his duties as Director of Athletics, Sartoris also plans to get together with ASGCC to plan some plan events, activities, and music during halftime sport events.

Although the Vaquero football team didn’t give fans a win during their first game ever played at home, the players got the chance to play on an amazing field that they can finally call their own.

Violeta Arazola can be reached at Violeta_Arrazola@elvaq.com

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

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Friday, Sept. 23, 2005

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LETTERS

Setting the Record Straight on Turkish Historian at GCC Last April, Turkish historian Dr. Taner Akcam gave a speech that was, in many ways, unprecedented at GCC. In last semester’s June 3 issue, El Vaquero ran a news item on this event by Dr. Levon Marashlian, but several errors were inadvertantly introduced.

We arerunning the news item again, as it was submitted by Dr. Marashlian, to correct the innacuracies.

Additionaly, Prof.

Marashlian has informed us that since the time he submit-

the postponement of a conference on the Armenian question.

"We must end this treason, the spreading of propaganda against Turkey" [by citizens of Turkey], declared Minister of Justice Cemil Cicek on May 24, the day before the conference was to open at Bosporus University in Istanbul.

ted this news item in June, the international reaction to the postponement of the conference at Bosporus University compelled the authorities to allow it to be rescheduled, and it is to take place September 23 to 25.

Turkish Historian who Spoke at GCC not allowed to Speak in Turkey Dr. Taner Akcam, the Turkish historian who spoke at GCC on April 7, 2005 at the invitation of the Armenian Student

Dr Taner Akcam, addressing GCC students and faculty last April.

Association, was denied the opportunity--along with other Turkish scholars--to speak in Turkey when authorities forced

Dr. Akcam is the first Turkish historian to openly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide.

The appearance of a Turkish historian here on campus was an unprecedented event for GCC.

To an overflow audience of over 200 students, faculty and staff, he lectured in the Student Center on Turkish nationalism, the Armenian Genocide, and obstacles to democratization in Turkey.

It is perhaps ironic that during his lecture, he announced his planned participation in the upcoming conference in Istanbul as a sign of gradual democratization.

Dr. Levon Marashlian –– Professor of History

DANCE: Department Instructor Sounds Off Continued from page 2

Expression of Support I delivered my in-depth response to the article by Chuck Reyes to our Division Chair, Rob Kibler, whom, I trust to deal with this matter in the most appropriate manner. Meanwhile I want to express my support to Lynn McMurrey.

I have known Lynn for many years and I have known about him when I was working in Europe, where he was a respected professional. As I teach right after him, I have observed portions of his class on a biweekly basis over the spring semester 2005. I can assure you that Jazz I and Jazz II are taught with utmost integrity and knowledge. I observe students who work hard and with enthusiasm.

Obviously, Chuck’s article was strictly written to satisfy a personal agenda of some kind.

In my opinion, he should complete his research, in order to publish a front-page apology, if appropriate. Sadly, he has neglected to give me the courtesy of an interview before insinuating that my classes are outdated, that the students are not technically challenged in ballet.

My recent (Spring 2005) student evaluations tell a different story, and I will certainly make them available to you. They will provide ample evidence of manipulative jour-

nalism. I also don’t appreciate the accusation, that full-timers cannot get jobs in the industry anymore.

I can prove very recent activities in Europe, where I teach during my visits major with professional dance companies. During my two-year leave of absence (2001-2003) I helped develop a new Bachelor of Dance Degree at the Auckland University of Technology. I also taught open classes in New Zealand. As a result I was approached by professional dancers (among them a former soloist from London Festival Ballet, a former principal of Tokyo Ballet and dancers from several European companies) to start a professional company for them (2003). The company is still going strong.

In early Spring 2005 I was invited to act as research associate in dance science with New Zealand’s universities. I plan to co-publish in depth about injury prevention and to continuously bring updated information as a consultant to European dance companies.

Obviously, it was not in Chuck’s interest to interview me, or any other of the parttimers mentioned only as “parttimers” in the article. I am really sorry, that Melissa Randel was used in such a shameless way. I know her as an excellent teacher and as a person of integrity.

Thank you, Dora Krannig –– Dance Department

Source Misrepresented

I took a great deal of time with your student writer Chuck Reyes, to discuss the issue of part-timers vs. fulltimers in the Dance Department, and I am very upset with the way I was quoted in the recent edition of El Vaquero. Although Chuck’s quotes are accurate, they are out of context and communicate a very different message than the position I took in discussing this subject with Chuck. The way the article reads seems to put me in a point-counterpoint position against Lynn, as though we are on opposite sides of the subject, when in fact we are not.

For example, when I discussed the difference between an academic institution and a private dance studio, I went on to explain how highly qualified both Lynn and Dora are in the professional world. I encouraged Chuck to investigate their resumes and I detailed the highly competitive process of obtaining a full-time job in a community college. I also said it is important to trust that the people who have been given these full-time positions. I said they both have gems to share with their students, I called them nuggets of gold and I encouraged the students to find

them, because they are invaluable and come from extensive life experience.

In the section where I discuss how painful it is that a hierarchy exists, with regard to losing some of my classes in the past, I also discussed at length, how I had been in the same position, only a year earlier, when the state budget cuts occurred, and was put in the position of having to take classes away from my colleagues in the dance department, in order to make my load, I explained that it is the reality of being a full time hire and having a load which must be filled. That is the context for “It’s painful.…”

With regard to my quote about inflexibility of the institution to change things, I was talking, again, at length, about how different an institution that is funded by state funds is, from a private studio, where changes can occur over night. I went into great detail about my own experience with CSULB and how, as students, we were unable to change what we thought was wrong, but down the road, our suggestions had instigated change. I explained how long it takes to add a new class to the curriculum and how community colleges have a lot of procedure and all of that takes time. If I said “that’s the way this institution is run,” what I meant was that is how ALL community college institutions are run. The

way it reads makes it sound like GCC is unusual, when in fact, it is the norm.

I deeply regret having agreed to be interviewed.

What took time and care and thought, has been twisted to fit an agenda which is not mine and had I known this, I would never have agreed to be interviewed. I feel deeply offended by this article and would appreciate a retraction and a personal apology. In addition to the harm this article has caused to the dance department, implying that there is some hidden agenda by the full-time faculty to cheat the students of quality teachers, it has also done harm to my relationship with Lynn McMurrey, who has been nothing but a generous and supportive advocate for me here at GCC. Also, for the record, Barb Erfurt is not adjunct faculty, she is full-time in the P.E. department, which makes even the title of Chuck’s article misleading. I appreciate your consideration of this matter and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely, Melissa R. Randel

Context Found Wanting This letter is in response to an article published See Dance Dept., Page 5

Friday, September 23, 2005

www.elvaq.com

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NEWS

DANCE: Department Responds to Story

Continued from Page 4

published in the June 3, 2005 issue of El Vaquero, the last issue of the spring semester. The article leads with the front-page headline "Dance Students Question Department Decisions,” and follows on page 3 with the header, “Dance: Students Prefer Part-Time Instructors Over Full-Time Faculty.” From the headlines by themselves, an impartial reader would get the impression of widespread reaction within the ranks of dance students to some gross unfairness. But the article reveals its source to be “a handful of students” who wish to see part-time jazz dance instructor Barbara Erfurt take over classes now taught by full-time dance faculty who also oversee the curriculum.

Some context is wanting.

This “handful of students,” pays community college prices for a dance program commanding wide respect in the Southern

California for its comprehensiveness, numerous performance opportunities and high production standards.

It seems they have rapidly evolved to a state of readiness to direct the program themselves.

They note the popularity of Ms. Erfurt’s jazz class, and, in their wisdom, equate it with the class’s indispensability to the curriculum.

The article is sloppily written.

It quotes an attendance claim of 50 to 60 students per class from Ms. Erfurt, then allows her to build an argument on them in print, while later in the article the claims are refuted by the actual attendance record. It quotes, without refuting, erroneous statements by unnamed students.

Its overall impression is that a slew of profoundly qualified adjuncts are being locked out of positions they deserve, while, curiously, only one is mentioned.

Finally, it carelessly lends

credence to the short-term desires of inexperienced dancers who naturally want academic credit for doing more of what they are good at—dance that is current, familiar, and a part of the culture they continually absorb as mass consumers. In sum, the article smacks more of veiled partisanship than of journalistic objectivity.

It shouldn’t be necessary, but in light of the unfair timing of this article, I want to state my objections, as an adjunct dance teacher at GCC, to pressures toward a “wag the dog” approach to a dance curriculum.

The essence of fashion is change. Teachers dubbed the hippest are often the young and popular ones, but in the commercial world they come and they go quite rapidly. It is good for a department to reach out and provide students with a taste of the current, but it is not the primary mission of a dance curriculum.

A college or conservatory course in dance should impart knowledge that the average student does not seek on his or her own. In addition to a structured foundation in the techniques required of any professional, this knowledge includes protocols of studio and stage conduct, basic kinesiology, musical forms, and an understanding of dance’s rich history and its place in the arts.

These subjects tend to require the perspective of extensive experience and study, which is why, as in other departments, the planners of the study schedule are the teachers and not the students.

In this case, what has not been noted are the track records of Lynn McMurrey and Dora Krannig, the two full-time faculty members who have been slandered by implication in the above-referenced article.

In addition to extensive professional backgrounds and long and distinguished service as

GCC Welcomes Hurricane Refugees

Continued from Page 1

with Red Cross from the campus” says Phil Kazanjian, faculty member and former Red Cross director. Chair of the Health and Physical Education Division, Jim Sartoris, currently sits on the Board of Directors, which further strengthens this bond.

The Red Cross is set up only to take monetary donations, donations of food and clothing may be made to local churches, or other charities such as OXFAM. The Philippine Cultural Club is collecting donations in the Administration Building. Items for babies are particularily appreciated.

It was stressed throughout this meeting that the circumstances of this disaster are such that many of the displaced will not be able to return to their homes, possibly ever. Relief donations may be ongoing to offset the chronic nature of the disaster.

The second issue that was addressed was the possibility of refugees. So far, none of the students displaced by Hurricane Katrina have come to GCC, but

the college’s President, John Davitt, issued this statement on Sept. 2: “the GCC family is grief-stricken by the daily news accounts of the destruction, loss of life and suffering. We welcome the opportunity to lend assistance to any of the displaced students from our local area. Additionally we welcome those students who may choose to come to the greater Glendale area.”

GCC has proposed providing scholarships to cover such expenses as enrollment and books for the destitute students.

Also under discussion was the question of what would happen if GCC were similarly affected? Natural disasters such as earthquakes and seasonal flooding affect the campus, and fortunately, there are safety plans in effect. GCC’s earthquake plan involves evacuating all students who are not too injured to move. In case of disasters, students are directed to go home. There is drinking water and first aid supplies on campus, but the priority is for the safe removal of all students

as quickly as possible.

The Campus Police has an earthquake evacuation plan, and the Health Center is prepared to set up a triage unit in the Student Center. Earthquake drills on campus involve the Health Center and the Campus Police orchestrating a simulated first aid set up and building evacuation, but classes continue uninterrupted. The last earthquake drill was two years ago, and they’re preparing for another.

During the meeting, Phil Kazanjian said, “We (the Administration) look to the students for leadership in these types of situations.”

Involvement opportunities exist at all levels. First, drop a dollar in a donation jug.

Someone in Louisiana needs it.

Secondly, now would be a good time to get first aid supplies and an “emergency preparedness kit” together at home.

Local churches may be collecting donated food and clothing; others, such as the Dream Center, are sponsoring families that have been displaced by the hurricane.

Any students that cannot return to their school on the Gulf Coast because of the evacuation, are urged to contact the administration liaison Dave Mack, Articulation Officer, at the “New Orleans Hotline,” (818) 2401000, ext. 5311, or for more information go to www.glendale.edu.

For those with time to volunteer or money to donate, please contact the Glendale-Crescenta Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross or another charity organization: If in doubt about a charity, this site may be helpful: http://www.give.org/ American Red Cross 1501 S. Brand Blvd.

Glendale, CA 91204 Telephone: 818.243.3121 Fax: 818.240.2899 Email: info@arcglendale.org Oxfam takes all types of donations: http://www.oxfam.org.uk Oxfam Supporter Relations Oxfam House John Smith Drive,Cowley Oxford OX4 2JY

teachers, they are known for their qualities of leadership and compassion. It is they who have sustained the open policies which give students frequent chances to express themselves artistically even at the earliest stages of their development, and it is they who have constantly brought in fresh guest and adjunct talent to give the dance program depth and currency.

It is a sad phenomenon that, while engendering deep appreciation in some students, these policies have resulted in an attitude of arrogance and entitlement in others.

Yours truly, Richard Kuller — Instructor Tap Dance and Movement for Musical Theatre Glendale Community College

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Friday, September 23, 2005

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NEWS

SARTORIS FIELD: Alumni Welcome New Football Venue Continued from page 1

Davitt also paid tribute to Jim Sartoris, the current Director of Athletics and former coach of the GCC football team, who has worked at GCC for nearly 40 years. “Today we honor Jim [because] he epitomizes what we hope for in GCC in the type of graduates we produce in this institution,” Davitt said. “He has exemplified dignity…and integrity.”

After Davitt’s speech, Anita Gabrielian, President of the Board of Trustees, went onstage to continue thanking the guests.

She also remarked, “Sartoris is incredible, and we are so delighted that this is named after him.”

Gabrielian was followed by Tony Tartaglia, President of the Board of Directors of the GCC Foundation. In his speech, Tartaglia called for a moment of silence for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and afterward

announced that the college will be offering scholarships and funds to young people from Louisiana and Mississippi.

Tartaglia also told the story of how the renovation of the field was made possible, mentioning the Foundation’s athletic endowment fund that had raised $200,000.

Two former GCC football players, Jimmy Evangelides and Jeff Orlando, introduced Sartoris. Orlando told the guests how Sartoris had encouraged him to “come to GCC and play football,” adding, “I have never regretted [anything] since that day.”

Jim Sartoris went onstage and was greeted with a standing ovation. He began his speech by enumerating GCC’s outstanding qualities, such as “great facilities, teachers and staff” and a “great family atmosphere.” He

remarked that playing college football games on campus was a good way to get alumni to come back. “It’s a dream that has really come true tonight,” Sartoris said.

Sartoris also recognized two of his role models, Davitt and Walter Smith, former Dean of Student Activities. He said that Davitt had shown him “the importance of treating everyone with respect and of having a family atmosphere,” and that Smith taught him how to treat his students well.

In the middle of Sartoris’s speech, there was a phone call from Andy Reid, head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and former GCC football player under Sartoris, and donor of the new athletic scoreboard and track timing system. Sartoris thanked Reid and recognized his support.

Sartoris then continued thank-

ing the guests, acknowledging former football players and members of his family in the audience. “It’s amazing what a group of people can accomplish and no one cares who gets the credit.”

The ceremony culminated with Davitt and former Athletic Director Rick Reinhart presenting a framed photograph of the new field to Sartoris.

Nick Sartoris, son of the Athletic Director, was present along with the rest of the Sartoris family and expressed delight in his father’s accomplishments.

“I’ve never been prouder of anything or anyone in my entire life.”

After a quick raffle draw for a mini barbecue, the guests were encouraged to head down to the field to take a look at the wall dedicated to donors, painted with the athletic Hall of Fame mural, under the scoreboard before the

football game started. Many donors and alumni expressed their pride in their alma mater after seeing the field.

Rick Gomez, one of the donors and a former GCC football player, said that as an alumnus, he felt that the field was a dream come true. “We’ve gone a long way…I feel honored to be giving back to the school and community…It’s here at [GCC] that I learned values to take in life…It’s a great, exciting feeling for the whole Vaquero family.”

The following games will be played Saturday evenings on Sartoris Field this season: Oct. 1, vs. LA Harbor Collegeat 7:00 pm, Oct. 22 vs. Citrus College at 5:00 p..m., Nov. 5 vs. Santa Monica College at 5:00 pm

Pauline Guiuan can be reached at Pauline_Guiuan@elvaq.com

Attention MySpacers, Bloggers, Yahoo Groupsters and All! El Vaquero is looking for students and faculty members who have taken a click-and-build Website and made it uniquely their own.

The El Vaquero staff will be evaluating applicants and profiling our hit picks.

E-mail your name, contact information, and web address to: Jane_Pojawa@elvaq.com

Check out El Vaquero Online:

www.elvaq.com

www.elvaq.com

Friday, Sept. 23, 2005

7

A RT S A N D E N T E RTA I N M E N T

New Gallery Director Launches ‘Labor of Love’

By OLGA RAMAZ EL VAQUERO ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

As the new director of the college’s art gallery, computer animation professor Roger Dickes has already fulfilled one goal in his busy agenda on a course that was laden with obstacles.

Walking into the gallery, Dickes saw the opportunity to renovate the entire space in order to better accommodate future art exhibitions.

During the summer Dickes and student worker Jody Smith renovated the entire art gallery— from painting, to tearing down walls, and adding new skylights.

The newly remodeled art gallery currently is home to a collection of works by local artist Alicia Beach.

“Labor of Love” is a collection of works by Beach, a Venezuelan born artist who for this exhibition in particular, has turned toward an exploration of the medium of white, negative space in her body of work. The delicate compositions depict a sense of femininity with such elements like flowers and hearts.

The whimsical sweeps of color bring to life the theme of love with every stroke.

According to Dickes, one of the major perks of being the new art gallery director was being forced to learn Web design. As a result, Dickes has singled-handedly created a Web site for the art gallery that he hopes will “build a bridge between the college community and the vibrant and

diverse cultural landscapes of Los Angeles.” On the site, visitors can find information on current gallery exhibitions, pictures, contact information as well as general gallery information.

Dickes has been an instructor at Glendale Community College for six years, teaching predominantly computer animation classes not only to GCC students but also to industry professionals.

Among other things, Dickes was also a contributor on “South Park: Bigger, Better and Uncut.”

Despite the work efforts to renovate the gallery during the summer, Dickes realizes that the labor paid off.

“I am very excited that the space itself is so perfect to view art, but this space is publicly viewed, so there is a lot of anxiety. You want people to like what you are doing,” Dickes said.

Among other exhibitions, Dickes has planned a show for the upcoming month that will showcase the works of two local sculptors, Donald Morgan and Mason Cooley.

As of right now, there is still space in the gallery calendar for future exhibitions this semester.

According to Dickes, the renovation during the summer made it difficult to plan ahead and book events.

It is no easy task choosing which work is displayed in the art gallery. A committee is responsible for determining what artists’ works are showcased.

Dickes says that for the most part, all of the artists’ whose work will be displayed in future

Photo by Jane Pojawa

Bill “Elkwhistle” Neil inaugurates the World Festival of Sacred Music Sept. 17, in the Angeles National Forest. Inspired by the teachings of the Dalai Lama, the festival, being held Sept. 17 - Oct. 2, brings together over 1,000 performers from all over the world for 43 events at venues scattered over Los Angeles County. For information, see www.festivalofsacredmusic.org

exhibitions will all be from the local art scene.

Dickes also plans on a student art exhibition, however, he says that it is going to be at least six months before it actually takes place.

“I’d like to do a student exhibition. I really want it to be worthwhile, focused, and to mean something, rather than just be some kind of ethnographic selection of student works,” said Dickes.

Other than art exhibitions, Dickes has thought about hosting poetry readings and musical performances, but at the moment, Dickes just wants to keep things simple. Dickes encourages and welcomes the student body and faculty to take some time out and put a little bit of effort to enjoy themselves at the art gallery.

“I watch people walk by the front entrance and it frustrates me when they just walk by because they are missing out on

Photo by Oliver Tan

GCC Art Gallery: Artist Alicia Beach exhibits “Labor of Love.”

something really unusual and beautiful. I would really just love for people to take notice of what is going on here in the art gallery and to participate,” said Dickes.

“Labor of Love” runs through

Oct. 8. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Olga Ramaz can be reached at Olga_Ramaz@elvaq.com

8

Friday, September 23, 2005

www.elvaq.com

9

Fanfare and Football Kick-off Field and Scoreboard

T

he state-of-the-art renovationof the athletic field, christened Sartoris Field in honor of long-time Director of Atheletics, Jim Sartoris, is a milestone in the history of GCC. The new Andy Reid Family Scoreboard was donated by the former GCC football player, now head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles. The new facility enables sporting events such as football, soccer and track and field, to be held on campus for the first time.

A crowd of more than 400 alumni, students, faculty, staff and community members celebrated and cheered at the historic Sept. 3 opening.

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

The Andy Reid Family Scoreboard, donated by the Philidelphia Eagle’s coach, vividly displays the score of the first foolball game in crystal clarity.

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

Terrance Hopkins, no. 88, followed by Carlos Velasquez, no. 7, and the GCC football team enthusiastically take to Sartoris Field on Sept. 3, for the first home game to be played on campus. In the past, the Vaqueros shared Glendale High’s Mosye Field with several high school teams. The revamped sports facility.enables soccer and track and field to be at home as well.

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

The appearance of the new pep squad, consisting of the cheer and song teams, marks the return of the squad after a six year absence. Pep squad members, from left: Amber Flood, 18; Antoinette Picatto, 20; Matt Baker, 18; Carolyn Lopez, 19; Daphne Perrenoud, 19; Brianna Lesh, 18; Ariel Sands, 23; and Silvina Montes, 18. Squad coach Jessie La-Bohn-Moorehead hopes to build a competitive program.

Photo by Cynthia Perry

Defensive players Mitch Dolfuss, no. 43, Jason Bonwell, no. 33, and Marco Ramirez, no. 82, hold backl Southerwestern’s offense, but fell 39-36 in the end.

Photo by Cynthia Perry

Wearing school colors, Associated Student Senators Aylin Movsesyan, 19, left, and Elsa Urquilla, 20, join international student Ranna Kas Al, 21, in cheering the team in an exciting game againsst Southwestern.

Photo by Cynthia Perry

Paul Zuber, no. 19, kicks off the first footballgame at Sartoris Field. The revamped field features state-of-the art artificial turf, making it ideal for competitive sports.

Photo by Cynthia Perry

Theexpression of Will Harrahill reflects the tension of the Vaqueros’ first game on the new home field.

Photo by Elizabeth Linares

10

Friday, Sept. 23, 2005

www.elvaq.com

NEWS

History Major Wins Academic Homemaker Award

By KASIA FAUGHN with RACHEL SWIERENGA EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

J

oelle Elbeyrouthy was named this year’s winner of the $1,000 Glendale Community College Homemaker Academic Award in a ceremony held Aug. 30.

The scholarship is awarded annually to a graduating GCC student who attains academic excellence along with family responsibilities. Elbeyrouthy, who is married and has an 8year-old son, managed to maintain a GPA of 3.5 during her

be a homemaker while attending 2 ½ years on campus. school full time. She added, In order to be able to take “Teachers tend to care of her family be more underand excel acathan demically, she “Studying is not standing bosses.” arranged her as difficult as The awardee classes around her son’s school working. Teachers came with her schedule, and tend to be more family to the from enlisted her husunderstanding U.S. Lebanon five band’s and a than bosses.” years ago. After babysitter’s help graduating from in looking after — Joelle Elbeyrouthy GCC, she transfor her son. ferred to Cal “Studying is not State Northridge where she has as difficult as working,” she said just started her first semester as a when asked how she managed to

history major. According to Elbeyrouthy, the hardest thing about being a mother and a full time student is finding the time to study. “I often had to study late at night when my son was asleep and the housework was completed. Still, I found it manageable.”

The Homemaker Academic Award was established by a late GCC psychology Professor Jeanne Cunningham. After graduating from GCC, Cunningham obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and returned to GCC to serve as a faculty mem-

ber for more than 25 years. She died in 2004 and was honored by the college with a memorial plaque placed in a garden between the San Rafael and the Sierra Nevada buildings.

El Vaquero On the Web www.el.vaq.com Visit us online, get updated with all the latest news.

Local Family Gives College Million-Dollar Gift

By KASIA FAUGHN EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

A generous donation of $1 million received this fall toward building the new health science building on campus is only the second award of that amount ever given to the college.

The new complex will be named the Bhupesh Parikh Health Science and Technology Building in honor of donor Bhupesh Parikh and his family.

Parikh came to the U.S. from India as a young man. He earned a master’s degree in structural engineering from USC and proceeded to establish an engineering and construction business in Glendale. The Parikh family has lived in Glendale since 1969.

Parikh’s wife, Kumud, attended accounting classes at GCC. After its anticipated completion in 2007, the new three-story building will feature digital arts and graphics labs, a pharmacy lab, nursing and emergency medical technicians labs, and

Photo by Susan Cisco

Bhupesh and Kumud Parikh donated $1 million for building construction.

Photo by Oliver Tan

Construction is underway on the allied health and media arts complex.

www.elvaq.com

Friday, Sept. 23, 2005

11

S P O RT S

Vaqueros Sports Summaries WOMEN’S SOCCER Glendale split a pair of games last week and are now 4-1-1. The Vaqueros suffered their first lost of the season to Pasadena 2-1 Tuesday and beat Allan Hancock 5-1 Friday.

In the win over Hancock, Janet De Lao and Claudia Cienfuentes each scored two goals and Jennifer Barrientos scored once for Glendale.

The Vaqueros host Cuesta College Friday at 4 p.m. at Sartoris Field.

23:01, Joseph Lopez was 13th in 23:07.3 and Victor Rios was 65th in 23:56.80.

For the women who finished second with 55 points behind

Castaneda was 17th in 22:50.8.

Glendale competes in the Golden West Invitational Sept.

24 at 10:00 a.m.

lead in the fourth quarter on a nine-yard touchdown pass from Steve Martinez to Darion Donnelly. Sam Ledford was the leading rusher with 79 yards on

WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL The Vaqueros record dropped to 0-3 after a three-game loss to Orange Coast College 30-13, 3017 and 30-14 last Wednesday and competed in the Santa Ana tournament Saturday.

Glendale hosts Cerritos Collge Sept.23. at 7:00 p.m.

MEN’S SOCCER

CROSS COUNTRY The Vaqueros had a pair of solid runner-up finishes for the men and women’s teams Saturday at the Cuesta Invitational. The men finished second with 66 points, just one point behind meet winner Hartnell College with 65. Luis Castaneda’s time of 21:39.4 over the four-mile course made him the top Glendale finisher and second overall.

Preston Richardson was next with a ninth place finish in 22:32.2, Ivan Perez was 12th in

week with a WSC South game Sept. 24 at L.A. Southwest College at 1:00 p.m.

Photo by Oliver Tan

Women’s soccer wins 6-1 in the first game on Sartoris Field.

meet winner Cuesta with 52, Liliana Hernandez was the top Glendale runner in third place in 20:41.1 over the three-mile course. Maribel Cespedes was next in eighth place in 21:17.9; Ana Rodriguez was 12th in 21.56.6., Leticia Camacho was 15th in 22:46.8 and Rosario

FOOTBALL The Vaqueros fell to Compton 14-7 Saturday in the Western State Conference Southern Division opener for both teams.

Now 1-2 and 0-1 this season, Glendale struggled offensively the entire game but took a 7-6

14 carries and Donnelly caught three passes for 28 yards and one touchdown.

Defensively, Marco Ramirez led the effort with 14 tackles and two sacks.

Matt Patterson added 14 tackles and intercepted a pass.

Glendale hits the road this

Glendale dropped a pair of non-conference games last week to fall to 0-6 this season. They fell to Fullerton 2-1 last Tuesday and to Cerritos 1-0 Friday.

The Vaqueros host Chaffey College Friday at Sartoris Field at 6:30 p.m.

Oliver Tan can be reached at Oliver_Tan@elvaq.com

Comeback a Little Too Late for Vaquero Football Team

By VIOLETA ARRAZOLA EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR

W

ith a new state-of-art athletic field to play on, a near capacity crowd and new cheerleaders to cheer the team on, and a sunset glistening in the west, all that was needed was a Vaquero victory to make it a perfect ending.

But the Vaqueros could not provide that for the crowd, as they fell to Southwestern College 39-36 in the first-ever game played at home in the history of GCC, on Sept. 3.

“It’s really disappointing to all the players as well as for myself because the players were really pumped to play on the new field and get a win,” said Head Coach John Cicuto.

The Vaqueros, who went 4-6

last season and have 32 returning players, showed that they are a team that won’t go down without a fight; only this time their struggle didn’t make it far enough.

After the Vaqueros valiantly scored 16 points in the last three minutes to tie the game, a 39-yard field goal by the Jaguars’ Ryan Bowling, with three seconds remaining in the game, gave his team a win and snatched away the chance of a Vaquero victory.

The Vaqueros, who had a chance to win after quarterback Steve Martinez carried the ball from Vaquero 23 to the Jaguars 46, with less than 30 seconds remaining in the game, fell short after they failed to gain three yards on three consecutive plays. This allowed for a

Southwestern possession and an eventual victory.

“We had trouble with our special teams,” said sophomore defensive lineman, Jason Bonwell. “Coach Cicuto had been telling us all week the special teams were going to make us or break us and this time it broke us.”

The Vaqueros, who didn’t play well in the first half and trailed behind 29-14 going into the second half, stepped up their defense and didn’t allow the Jaguars to score any points in the third quarter.

The offense also stepped up as they cut the Jaguars lead to nine points after Martinez, who passed for 260 yards and had 5 touchdowns, four of which were on the ground, scored a rushing touchdown with 3:15

remaining on the clock.

But in the end, Southwestern ended up being the better team and handed the Vaqueros their fourth season-opening loss in five years.

“It was a great game,” said Cicuto. “Our offense moved the ball well throughout the game and our defense stepped up in the second half, but in the end, we fell short.”

Besides Martinez, other key players for the Vaqueros were sophomore wide receiver Darion Donnelly, who had 11 receptions for 119 yards and one touchdown, sophomore running back, Samuel Ledford who had 13 carries for 67 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and sophomore defensive end Marco Ramirez, who had a 61yard fumble return, which set

up the Vaqueros second score.

The Vaqueros, evened their record at 1-1 with a 21-17 road win against Antelope Valley College Sept. 10, but fell to Compton 14-7 Sept. 17, in the Western State Conference Southern Division opener for both teams. The Vaqueros are now 1-2 and 0-1 this season.

Their next game is Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. at L.A Southwest College.

Violeta Arrazola can be reached at Violeta_Arrazola@elvaq.com

12

Friday, September 23, 2005

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S P O RT S

EL VAQUERO FALL SPORTS GUIDE

If you are like me and are not…shall we say, “sports savvy,” this guide will help you to understand the sports that are being played here at GCC for the Fall Semester.

College Football 101

Volleyball 101

As of Sept. 3, GCC has its very own football field. So for those of you out there struck with the urge to suddenly become football fans, yet don’t understand the game, here is a brief rundown for you:

This game is played on a court divided by a net. There are six players from each team positioned on opposite sides of the net.

There are two teams in a football game and each team is allowed to have 11 players on the field. There is the offensive (the team with the ball) and the defensive (the team without the ball).

It is the job of the offense to run the ball down the field to make a touchdown, without getting tackled by the other team. Tackling is when a guy, usually much bigger than you, jumps on you and tries to knock you to the ground and turn you into a human pancake.

Hopefully your other teammates are doing their jobs by diverting the pancake- making onto themselves, so you can try to score a touchdown.

The job of the defense is to make sure the guy with the ball on the other team does NOT get to the end zone, and will happily make a human pancake out of the aforementioned person with the ball.

The offensive team gets four downs, which is four tries to get the ball down the field, without getting it stolen; at least ten yards. If they do that, they get four more downs.

By the time the third down is done, if the team has not managed to get the ball into the end zone, then they can either “go for it” - which is just playing the down as usual - punt it, which is kicking the ball to the other team and trying to get them farther back in the process - or to try and kick a field goal, that is when the kicker has to kick the ball between those two big yellow poles at the end of the field, which is located in the other team’s end zone.

There are two rows of three players on each side of the net, the right back person is the server and they must hit the ball over the net, if they miss the ball, it goes to the other team.

When the ball goes to the other team, the players that lost the ball rotate one position to the left, or clockwise.

Once the ball clears the net, the other team has three chances to hit the ball back over.

No player is allowed to hit the ball twice in a row, unless they are blocking.

To score, the ball must hit the floor of the side the court of the opposing team.

Usually it’s the first team to 15 points who win.

Notable volleyball player: Gabby Reece

Soccer 101 This game is played on a field of grass. There are generally 11 players to each team on the field at one time, and this includes the goalie.

The goalie is the person who has a different color shirt from the rest of the team and stays near the goal.

In soccer the players mainly use their feet to manipulate the ball, and only the goalie can use his/her hands.

“In college football the real triple threat is one who can run, kick and pass all his exams.” ~ E.C. McKenzie from 14,000 Quips and Quotes Games are four quarters and each quarter is 15 minutes, but don’t expect the game to be over in an hour, the clock gets stopped for almost anything.

Scoring in football is a little complicated here is a quick rundown thanks to www. football.about.com Touchdown = 6 points Extra Point Conversion = 1 point Two point conversion=2 points

Field Goal = 3 points Safety =2 points

Notable football player: Brett Favre

The team’s goals are to steal the ball from the other team, if it’s in the opposing team’s possession, dribble it down the field (using only their feet) and try to kick it into the other team’s goal.

If the ball is kicked out of bounds, then the team that kicked it out of bounds gets to throw it back in, usually.

Most matches are about 90 minutes long.

Notable soccer player: Pelé

By ALISON GELLER EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER

photo by Jane Pojawa

Information was found on the following websites: football.about.com, Volleyball’s Side Out (http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~st95437g/index.html), volleyball.org, worldsoccer.about.com and fishermenyouthsoccer.org

Friday, September 23, 2005

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13

F E AT U R E

High Energy Coach Rallies New Cheer and Song Squads

By ELIZABETH LINARES EL VAQUERO

W

PHOTO EDITOR

hen jumping and yelling with all her energy, it is hard to tell coach Jessie La Bohn-Moorehead from the equally kinetic students in her pep squad.

The petite, bubbly coach was appointed to the serious task of bringing back into action the GCC cheerleader and song teams after an absence of six years. The results of the hard work by the coach and her teams were seen for the first time at the opening of the Sartoris Field on Sept. 3.

“Everything was crazy on that first day. First team, first field and so on,” La BohnMoorehead said about the first football game.

“When your crowd is yelling back the cheers you provide, it is always a good sign. They [the crowd] were wonderful, and every game will be better and better. I was extremely satisfied with our performance.”

However, the purpose of having cheerleaders is not only to “hear the crowd yell back the cheers you provide,” La BohnMoorehead explained, “but to develop both the cheer and song squads into competitive programs and have Glendale be a dominating force in collegiate competitions.”

Winning in competitions is something that this coach has personally experienced. She danced and performed through high school and college and was part of squads that won national titles every year.

“I was named cheerleader of the year by the State of Washington,” she recalled.

“After high school, I performed a with all-star teams, then had the opportunity to cheer at the collegiate level.”

However, cheer leading was not originally her intended career.

She fell into it by doing choreography to earn money for her college education. “ It [coaching cheerlead teams] was something that just happened.

I found out I was pretty good

Photos by Elizabeth Linares

Pep squad coach Jessie La Bohn-Moorehead explains the proper grip used in lifting. Students on the cheer team need some experiance in gymnastics and tumbling. Below, the coach puts students through their paces.

when my material began winning competitions and winning more job offers,” the coach said.

The song and cheer teams are part of the GCC pep squad, and are campus clubs.

According to Melanie Brown, administrative assistant to the dean of student affairs, the student government (ASGCC) funds this club by paying the coach’s salary. The players pay their own expenses.

GCC cheer leading and song teams are composed of 18 women and two men. They will perform during the soccer, football and basketball games during fall semester.

To be part of the cheer squad, students must be skilled in dance, gymnastics and tumbling. For song team, “the student must have dancing experience at a level of at least level 1 of jazz,” the coach explained.

Although the teams are full for this semester, there will be opportunities to tryout for spring semester. Interested students may observe practice in the Sierra Nevada Gym women’s dance room on Monday and Wednesday from 8 to 10 p.m.

Looking forward to the growth of the program, coach La-Bohn Moorehead said, “I wake up every morning excited by the opportunity to work with these talented students.”

Elizabeth Linares can be reached at Elizabeth_Linares@elvaq.com

14

www.elvaq.com

Friday, September 23, 2005

F E AT U R E

Collective Debuts With Exhibit at Brand Library

By OLGA RAMAZ EL VAQUERO ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

T

he city of Glendale is not typically known for its art scene; in fact, there really is no art scene in Glendale. Local connoisseurs of art from all walks of life flock to the neighboring cities of Silverlake and Pasadena, among others, in order to nourish their appetite for new, modern and splashy art.

But, in an effort to establish an art scene here in Glendale, three GCC students: Gary Freeman, Greg Griffin, and Arlene Vidor, have formed the Tropico Artists Collective (T.A.C.).

The T.A.C. is a group of serious, local artists who look to strengthen and increase communication amongst each other and their peers. Their main goal as a group is to not only establish an art scene in Glendale, but also to challenge the status quo and mainstream art.

The beginnings of the group date back to last fall when Freeman and Griffin produced an off-campus exhibition for GCC students. The exhibit was held at a gallery in Pasadena. Vidor, who attended the exhibition, realized that there was a need for exhibition space in Glendale for serious artists.

“We wanted to have the opportunity for regular discussion and critique of our work among peers outside of the academic setting,” said Vidor.

The collective is composed of local, emerging and established artists alike who produce works in the areas of visual and literary

arts. Among them is Elena Del Rio, owner of Koplin Del Rio Gallery in West Hollywood.

Although Del Rio herself is not a visual artist, she was drawn to the group’s diverse interests in the arts.

“Part of my interest to the group was hearing that there was this core of serious professional artists that were in Glendale,” said Del Rio. “Artists that were beyond the hotel art or the commercial art scene and had interest in social commentary, political commentary and serious fine art.”

Del Rio played a key role in helping put together the groups first exhibition, titled “Tropico REDUX,” which is currently being held at the Brand Library and is being sponsored by The Associates of Brand Library, a non-profit group that supports the Brand Library and Art Center Events.

As a professional, Del Rio was a great deal of help when it came down to the layout of the exhibition, which according to Griffin, is really important as to why all the chosen pieces work well together.

This first exhibition features art pieces by nine of the 10 members of the group. The instillation of work includes photography, courtesy of Freeman, Griffin, and Vidor, as well as paintings, drawings, sculptures, and mixed media works.

Choosing which works would be showcased in the exhibition

Photo by Oliver Tan

Top: One of the founders of the T.A.C., Gary Freeman displays his work at the “Tropico REDUX” exhibition. Top right: Arlene Vidor stands before one of her many photographs on display

Photo by Oliver Tan

was a task all on its own. Leading up to the show, the group would meet every week for about two months in order to prepare for the upcoming, inaugural exhibition.

“We would meet and talk about things like how much we all hate Bush and whether he is a sociopath or only appears to be a sociopath, and then we would look at the artwork and decide on which pieces would be in or out of the show,” said Griffin.

For being their first exhibition as a newly formed group, the collective have gotten a positive, overwhelming response by the various attendants that pass through the exhibition.

“I think it has been going really well. We had a wonderful turnout at the opening reception and people have responded very positively to it,” said Vidor.

“They like the work because they feel it’s really diverse and interesting. I haven’t heard anything negative.”

Vidor worked very closely with the Brand Library in order to secure the exhibition space.

Down time in September made it possible for the collective to reserve the library gallery in order to showcase their first exhibition.

The group already has a show scheduled for February 2006 at the Nickelodeon Studios in Burbank. By this time, group hopes to have recruited more members and to have created some sort of following here in Glendale.

“There is no reason that Glendale shouldn’t be showing art,” said Freeman. “That is one of the reasons why we chose the name Tropico, even though it is a

Photo by Jane Pojawa

Posing for the camera, Artist Nick Macierz, member of the Tropico Artist Collective and former vice president of the photo club at GCC, Piper Mavis

mythical place, it is here.”

There are historic ties to the name Tropico. In the early 1900s the remarkable town of Tropico comprised a large portion of Glendale. During the existence of this city, an artist by the name of Edward Weston set up a studio in Tropico. After his departure from Glendale, he became world famous with photography which depicted nudes, landscapes and the natural form.

The name is not only an homage to the city itself, but also to the memory of one of its first residents.

The group dreams of having a permanent space locally in order to host art exhibitions and salons.

“I would like to see a more viable art movement in Glendale and a more noted artist colony,” said Freeman.

The “Tropico REDUX” exhibition runs through Oct. 7, at the Brand Library. Gallery hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Olga Ramaz can be reached at Olga_Ramaz@elvaq.com

Friday, September 23, 2005

www.elvaq.com

15

CALENDAR! O N C AMPUS EXHIBITIONS Alicia Beach — The GCC art gallery presents the work of Alicia Beach in an exhibition titled “Labor of Love,” now through Oct. 8. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Fridays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays are by appointment only. For more information, call Roger Dickes at (818) 240-1000, ext. 5663 or visit www.glendale.edu/artgallery.

240-1000, ext. 5556.

240-1000, ext. 5621.

GCC Jazz Band — The Glendale College jazz band will be in concert Nov. 20 at 4 p.m. in the auditorium mainstage theater. Instumental arrangements of jazz and popular tunes will be performed. Raymond Burkhart directs. Admission is $7, and $5 for students and seniors. For more information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5621, or visit www.glendale.edu/music.

GCC Orchestra — The Glendale College orchestra will be in concert on Dec. 4 at 4 p.m. in the auditorium mainstage theater. Admission is $7, and $5 for students and seniors. For more information, call (818) 2401000, ext. 5621, or visit www.glendale.edu/music.

“Phanatics” — The Glendale College dance department presents “Phanatics” on Nov. 5 at 8 p.m. in the Sierra Nevada Dance Room. Admission is free. For more information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5556.

Applied Music Recital — The Glendale College music department presents an applied music recital on Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium mainstage theater. Instrumentalists and vocalists from the applied music program will perform. Beth Pflueger directs. Admission is free. For more information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5621, or visit www.glendale.edu/music.

Faculty/Alumni Dance Production — The Glendale College dance department presents its faculty/alumni dance production Dec. 9 to 11 in the auditorium mainstage theater.

Showtimes are 8 p.m. Dec. 9 and 10, and 2 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11.

Admission is free. Call (818)

Holiday Choral Concert — The Glendale College music department presents its annual holiday choral concert on Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the auditoium mainstage theater. Peter Green directs. Admission is $7, and $5 for students and seniors. For more information, call (818)

PERFORMANCES

Montrose Holmes — Whites Art Store & Gallery presents the work of NASCAR artist Tracy Holmes, during gallery hours at Whites Gallery, 241 Honolulu Ave. Gallery hours are Tuesday 1 to 7 p.m.; Wednesday and Thursday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call the gallery at 957-4071 or visit www.whitesgallery.com.

Glendale Artists’ Market — The Artists’ Market on Brand Boulevard is from noon to dusk on the third Friday of very month, 101 N. Brand Blvd. Local artists display their photography, jewelry,

Student Piano Recital — The Glendale College music department presents a student paino recital on Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium Room 211.

Students from the advanced piano classes and Peter Green’s private studio will perform.

Admission is free. For more information, call (818) 2401000, ext. 5621.

Chamber Music Recital — The

OTHER ACTIVITIES Science Lecture Series — Glendale College’s Science Lecture series begins Tuesday with “How to Add Infinitely Many More Things” by GCC mathematics professor Ashot Djrbashian. The lecture will be held in Santa Barbara Room 243 from noon to 1 p.m. Admission is free. For more informaion, call coordinator Sid Kolpas at (818) 240-1000, ext. 5378.

• Kaiser Permanente Director Dr. James Lau presents “The Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer” on Oct. 27 in Santa Barbara Room 243.

• JPL senior systems engineer Trina L. Ray presents “The Cassini Mission” on Nov. 22 in Santa Barabara Room 243.

Diversity Program presents “Cultures in Conflict,” a film series. “Tibet — Cry of the Snow Lion” will be screened Sept. 29 in Student Center Room 212 beginning at 1 p.m.

Admission is free. For more information, e-mail Tom Hogue at thogue@glendale.edu Swap Meet/Flea Market — Glendale Community College’s monthly Swap Meet/Flea Market is held the third Sunday of every month on the college’s upper parking lot, on the corner of Mountain Street and the Glendale (2) Freeway. Admission is free.

Dealer spaces are available for $35. For more information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5805 or visit www.glendale.edu.

Board of Trustees — The Glendale Community College Board of Trustees meets on the third Monday of the month at 5 p.m. in Kreider Hall. The board’s next meeting is on Oct. 17 in Kreider Hall.

SUBMISSIONS

Cultural Diversity Film Series — Glendale College’s Cultural

To submit a listing e-mail calendar@elvaq.com.

Swingin’ Sunday — The Pasadena Playhouse District presents a series of 13 jazz performances on the Vroman's Stage, located behind Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. Produced by the Pasadena Jazz Institute, performances run through Sunday from 5 to 8 p.m.

For more information, call 626398-3444.

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http://police.ci.glendale.ca.us/cr ime_stoppers.asp.

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EXHIBITIONS

GCC Concert Singers — The Glendale College concert singers will be in concert at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 1020 N. Brand Blvd. in Glendale. The singers will perform choral music from throughout the ages.

Peter Green directs. Admission is $10, and $7 for students and seniors. For more information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5621.

Glendale College music department presents a chamber music recital on Dec. 12 at 4 p.m. in Auditorium Room 211. Students from the chamber music class will perform their final recital.

Admission is free. For more information, call (818) 2401000, ext. 5829.

paintings and more. The market is an event sponsored by Glendale’s Arts and Culture Commission, the Parks, Recreation and Community Service Division, and Tishman Speyer Properties. For more information, call 548-2780.

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PERFORMANCES La Crescenta Verdugo Hills Women’s Chorus — The Verdugo Hills Women’s Chorus welcomes new members who share a love for singing. The women meet for rehearsals at 9:30 a.m. Mondays at La Crescenta Presbyterian Church, 2902 Montrose Ave. The chorus has been active for more than 50 years and performs

at service clubs, retirement homes, churches and other venues. For more information, call 626-403-5622.

Pasadena “Tea at Five” — The Pasadena Playhouse presents “Tea at Five,” starring Kate Mulgrew as Katharine Hepburn. Mulgrew becomes the legendary actress from Hepburn’s turbulent childhood to her 27-year love affair with Spencer Tracy. Follow Hepburn’s personal and professional journey in this poignant and often funny tour de force.

“Tea at Five” runs through Oct. 2 at the Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave. For tickets and information, call 626-356-PLAY (7529) or visit www. pasadenaplayhouse.org.

VOLUNTEER Glendale Crime Stoppers — Glendale Crime Stoppers, a community organization helping the city's police department solve crime, needs volunteers. For more information, call Glendale Crime Stoppers at 244-5656 or visit Crime Stoppers at

Glendale Memorial Hospital — Volunteers are needed at Glendale Memorial Hospital.

For more information, call the volunteer office at 502-2373.

Glendale Public Library — Friends of the Glendale Public Library is seeking volunteers for the new book store at 222 E. Harvard St. Training is provided.

Call 546-2538 Glen-Park Retirement Communities — Four of the Glen-Park retirement communities are looking for volunteers to work in an atmosphere of love and understanding. For more information, call 246-9000.

Friday, September 23, 2005

www.elvaq.com

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E L VA Q U E R O P H O TO G A L L E RY

Cheerleaders Make Big Comeback

Above: GO GCC! Pep squad members Antoinette Picatto, 20, left, and Carolyn Lopez, 19, warm up the crowd at the opening of Sartoris Field, Sept. 3.

Above: Standing High Amy Vetayases, 18, left, and Alisa Cosentino, 18, top the tower in one of the squad s athletic routines. Their appearance at the season opening football game marks the return of cheerleaders to GCC after a six year absence.

Photos by Elizabeth Linares

See related story on page 13

EL VAQUERO PHOTO EDITOR

Below: An Anxious Moment Silvina Montes, 18, left, and Ariel Sands, 23, react to the tense action during the tight game in which the Vaqueros met defeat.

Elizabeth Linares can be reached at Elizabeth_Linares@elvaq.com

D-fence!

Props get the message across as Brianna Lesh, 18, holds up a D.

Mojo Action

Pep squad uses music and motion to conjure good luck for the Vaqueros.