El Vaquero Glendale College
R
ima Nazaryan vows “Never Again,” 91 years after the Ottoman Empire killed 1.5 million.On April 24, the Armenian Student Association took to the streets to protest genocide. See story on pages 10 - 11. Photo by Emmanuel Belviz www.elvaq.com
Immigration
“Something’s Missing”
Campus opinion divided on contraversial bill.
Ken Gray’s new play is going to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Page 15
Page 9
Volume 89 Number 4
FRIDAY APRIL 28, 2006
Parking
Audre Levy
As construction continues, so does the struggle for parking.
The top candidate for new superintendent / president.
Page 4
Page 3
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Friday, April 28, 2006
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LETTER
Disabled Student Speaks Out Against Faulty Elevators, Inconsiderate Parking
J
orge Acevedo’s life was turned upside-down on Christmas Day 1999. His luxury Lincoln town car with expensive rims made him an attractive target for an ambush. Acevedo was carjacked; three gunmen shot 10 rounds at him, hitting him twice in the leg and once in the base of the skull. The injury has left Acevedo a partial paraplegic and impaired his speech, but it has not deterred him from his quest for justice. In 2003, Acevedo was named the Glendale Police Department’s Volunteer of the Year. He is an administration of justice major. April 6, 2006 It seems that disabled students with special needs are always forgotten about. It seems we are the last to have any input.
First of all, I am a disabled student, in case you’re wondering. Since the beginning of the school year, the elevator in the cafeteria building has been chronically in need of repair. It really should be replaced, along with the elevator in the San Gabriel building. Also, the elevator in the San Rafael Building has not worked since the start of the semester, the Auditorium building wheelchair accessibility switch has not worked since last semester and there is no access to the rooms off of San Gabriel 139 since it does not have a electric push button. Even before the current wave of construction started, it was not easy for disabled students to get around on campus, but access has been compromised even further with the construction of the new Allied Health building. Imagine what it is like for blind
or wheelchair-bound students. Elevators that function properly are an important accessibility feature for students who cannot climb stairs. It is even harder to get to class when it is raining like last week. The elevator in the cafeteria building wasn’t working, and it was impossible to stay dry, or even keep your notebook from getting wet, with the dash through the rain along the side of the library building. It is great that the schools is getting a makeover, but why not fix existing problems first? As a separate but related issue, many disabled students are picked up by their vans at stand No. 1 to the left of the Art / Aviation building. Parking structure construction has led to chaos in the faculty / police lot, and [See Letter, page 7]
Photo by Sumaya Mehai
Jorge Acevedo, founder of Delta Sigma Omicron.
El Vaquero Glendale Community College
editor in chief
Jane Pojawa staff members
Michael Alpert Jason Castro Alison Geller Kasia Faughn Pauline Guiuan Stephen Hotchkiss Ramela Isagholian Anna Margaryan Rachel Mills Olga Ramaz Carlos Villarreal online editor
Michael J. Arvizu design adviser
Charles Eastman photography adviser
Liane Enkelis
faculty adviser
Michael Moreau mmoreau@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000, ext. 5214
advertising
Heather Glenn hglenn@glendale.edu (818) 240-1000, ext. 5606
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3
NEWS
Audre Levy Slated to be New President By Alison Geller
EL VAQUERO FEATURES EDITOR
A
fter a year-long search for the replacement of longtime college President John A. Davitt, Dr. Audre Levy was named frontrunner by the board of trustees April 17. According to Anita Quinonez Gabrielian, former president of the Board of Trustees, Levy was unanimously voted as the top finalist for the position of superintendent/president by the Board of Trustees from the four candidates nominated by the hiring committee. This decision was announced April 17 at the Board of Trustee’s meeting and they also mentioned that they would be conducting a site visit to Los Angeles Southwest College. Levy is currently the president of Southwest, and on April 20 a specialty committee visited and spoke with individuals on that campus to try to get a better feel for Levy’s management style. According to Kathleen BurkeKelly, the newly elected president
of the Board of Trustees, the site visit went “very well.� “[An] eight-member delegation made over 36 contacts between the college and the Los Angeles Community College District Office,� said Burke-Kelly. “Telephone interviews were conducted with Darroch “Rocky� Young, Chancellor of the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD); several members of the LACCD Board of Trustees; key LACCD district administrators; the [Los Angeles Southwest College] Foundation Chair, Mark Isles, who represents the community; as well as individual meetings at [Los Angeles Southwest College] with students, vice presidents, deans, and faculty and staff members. The results of the meetings and telephone interviews were very positive.� The final decision about the superintendent/president position will be announced on May 15, according to Burke-Kelly. If Levy does become GCC’s new superintendent/president, at the very least, one person will not
be overly happy with GCC. “I don’t want her to leave, but I want her to do what’s best for her,� said Dan Walden, the Dean of Institutional Planning and Research at Southwest, who reports directly to Levy and admires her both as a person and as a leader. “She cares very much about the students on campus,� said Walden. “She has a lot of open forums and town hall meetings for staff, faculty and students to get their input.� He also mentioned that if the school was looking for someone to keep the ‘status quo’ then Levy’s not the right person. Walden said that “she’s definitely a change agent kind of person. She’s a strong leader, but not autocratic. She listens and takes opinions before making a decision. What I really, really, like about Dr. Levy is, if you’re an employee of hers, she really looks out for your future,� said Walden. The Board decided that Levy was the top candidate after the public forum on April 12 and the final interviews that took place
Photo by Jane Pojawa
Audre Levy is the frontrunner for new president / superintendant.
the following day. “We used a progressive rating tool; we lined them up at the end and she came out on top,� said Gabrielian. The four finalists for the posi-
tion of superintendent/president, met with all the members of the college community who attended the public forum on April 12. Dr. Willard Clark Lewallen [See LEVY, page 8]
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Friday, April 28, 2006
www.elvaq.com
NEWS
Students Complain About Parking By Pauline Guiuan
EL VAQUERO NEWS EDITOR
S
taff members are not the only ones on campus distressed over the recent shortage of parking spaces caused by the construction of the multimillion dollar parking structure. Students are also forced to bear the brunt of the situation after losing 350 parking spaces in Lot B. Many students complain that although they gained 44 additional parking spaces in other lots, such as former staff parking Lot 32, and are assisted by parking lot attendants, many of them still have to drive around the crowded Lot B for up to half an hour before finding a parking space and are often consequently late for class. “If I don’t get to school before 8:30 [a.m.] it’s almost impossible to find a spot,” said English major Joelle Worf. “[The lot] is so crowded that it’s ridiculous.” “A lot of students were late for my 6:30 [p.m.] class because they had trouble parking,” said Vanessa Simental, another student. “I just
get dropped off so I don’t have to deal with it.” The college implemented a stacked parking system beginning in April that allows parking lot attendants to direct students to available spaces and to park the students’ cars for them in an organized fashion to make more space, but this apparently has not been of much help. Some students are even unaware that such a system exists. One of these students is Child Development major Soyen Sohn. “I didn’t know there were [attendants],” said Sohn. “I don’t see them when I’m looking for parking.” She added that she sees students “driving around and around looking for parking” without any assistance from the attendants. Benny Hernandez, one of the four regular parking lot attendants, said that this is probably because the lot is “so busy” during mornings that even the valets have their hands full. “The busiest time is in the morning from 8:30 to 10, and again from 11 to 1:30,” Hernandez said. “If the lot is full, we take [students’] cars and line them up.
They leave their cars and keys with us so we can park [their cars] for them.” A number is then attached to each set of keys, and the students are given a stub with that number so that they can claim their cars before 4:30 p.m. According to Hernandez, who is one of four parking attendants assigned to Lot B during the day, the students do not seem to have a problem with the parking situation. “They don’t complain,” Hernandez said. Thomas Dryden, ASGCC Vice President of Administration, echoes this statement. “I think the most inconvenienced is the classified staff,” Dryden said. “Students don’t tend to complain that much.” Dryden added that he thinks students are “getting used to the system,” referring to the valets. “It may have been confusing for them for the first week,” he said. “They voiced their opinions then, but now they’re used to it.” College police spokesperson Nidal Kobaissi said that the police had made several efforts to familiarize students with the parking system. “We had it printed in the El Vaquero and inserted the
information in the class schedule catalog,” he said. “We even printed out maps [for the catalog] and we also put it on the college website. We asked professors to announce it in their classes. We even had a flyer campaign.” According to Kobaissi, not many students saw the flyers because it had rained on the week when they left the flyers on students’ parked cars. Kobaissi also said that he believes there is enough parking for students. “We haven’t reached capacity in stacking in the lots,” he said. “We haven’t had one complaint from the students, and nothing unusual has happened.” However, Simental disagreed. “Students are just too busy to complain since they’re late and rushing off to class,” she said. One math class was even cut short by almost 15 minutes because the instructor had to leave early to avoid having his car towed. “I parked by the Coffee Bean, in the lot that’s only for customers,” said math instructor Robert Sneddon. “I was afraid my car would be towed, so I dismissed my class early.” Psychology professor Michael Dulay said that college faculty are
trying to come up with solutions to make it easier for students to take classes despite parking difficulties. One of these solutions is the paired hybrid classes that the Social Science Department might offer in the fall. These will enable students to take two classes in one night once a week, covering six units at once and requiring students to do some coursework online. “We’ll start to target class scheduling,” Dulay said. “We’ll also target afternoon classes and encourage students to take them, especially since there’s not much activity on campus in the afternoons and parking is much easier then.” Dulay said he hopes these solutions will encourage students to stay at GCC even if they’re not happy about the parking situation. “I believe we all have to work together to make the situation bearable for everyone,” he said. Pauline Guiuan can be reached at Pauline Guiuan@elvaq.com See related article, Staff Voices Frusration Over Parking Issues, page 6
An Open Letter to Students Who Park on Campus
T
hank you! Thank you for your patience and cooperation as the college begins work on a long-planned and awaited parking structure. The parking structure project will provide a 1,100 car garage and add approximately 850 new parking spaces. It will also add an elevator to move students from the structure to the upper campus in the area of the Student Center. In addition, the college is funding a widening of Mountain Street that will result in dedicated right and left turn lanes into the parking structure as well as a signal to make entering and exiting the parking structure and parking lot safer. Construction of these improvements will take approximately 15 months and our goal is to have the structure open for Fall 2007. In order to minimize the impact of the construction, which has resulted in the loss of approximately 350 parking spaces
in Lot B, the college is offering stacked parking in all college and city lots with the exception of Lot 33 in Verdugo Park. Stacked parking is a method for getting the most out of our parking lots by allowing parking attendants to park cars in the aisles. The college has been successfully using this method of parking in Lot 30 for several years. In addition, the college is returning Lot 32 to student parking displacing approximately 125 employees who have been parking in the lot since the closure of Lot F (North Science parking lot) and Lot G (Facilities parking lot) due to construction of the Parikh Health Sciences Building. To accommodate these employees the college has moved approximately 125 classified staff and managers to several off site parking lots. These employees are shuttled to the college. While this move has created a great deal of inconvenience to our valuable staff, it was considered critical by
the administration and Board of Trustees that your education not be disrupted. All in all, these temporary changes in parking have added parking spaces for students. Moreover, the use of stacked parking means students don’t have to sit and wait for a parking space to open up, which often resulted in being late to class. Now, a student can leave their car, and keys, with an attendant. (It is a good idea to have your car key on a separate key ring.) Additionally, I have heard from a number of students who were unhappy about the lack of adequate notification concerning the change in parking. I have no excuse to offer, we simply dropped the ball. Please accept my apology. Again, thank you for your cooperation. Lawrence R. Serot Vice President, Administrative Services
Photo by Jane Pojawa
Although new construction on campus, such as the Parikh Health Sciences Building above, is welcomed by both staff and students, parking spots may be difficult to find.
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5
NEWS
ASGCC Debates Block Schedule, Budget By Anna Margaryan EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER
I
t’s crunch time for the ASGCC as it prepares for an eventful month of May, but the issue dominating the table is block scheduling. Under the block scheduling system three-unit classes would be in session for 1.5 hours, two days a week, either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday. “All of the Block Scheduling scenarios proposed by the broadbased Block Scheduling Task Force would allow classes to meet for longer time periods each day, but for fewer days a week,” stated Raymond Glienna, Physical Science’s Division Chair, in a recent article for the faculty newsletter, Chaparral. GCC’s current calendar, which is based on a 15-week-and-oneday semester is in violation of a
Heads Up
A public town hall meeting to discuss various strategies for block scheduling is scheduled for May 17, 3-5 p.m. in Kreider Hall SR134.
Correction In the April 7 article headlined “ASGCC Contemplates Block Scheduling Vote” it was incorrectly reported that “most students will come two days a week.” This is a misrepresentation of block scheduling. Under block scheduling three-unit classes will meet two days a week — Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday for about one and a half hours each session, rather than for one hour three times a week. Most full-time students would schedule their classes Monday through Thursday.
state law that demands that all most viable alternative for the California community colleges college because it will “obviate stay in session for 16 weeks. the need for additional faculty According to the proposed costs, allow all classes to earn the schedule established by the extra funding multiplier, keep the Chancellor’s office in Sacramento, semesters shorter and maintain GCC must either abandon our summer and winter sessions,” Wednesday as the first day of according to Gilenna. the new semester or add two or The calendar changes may three days to the be beneficial to academic calendar the college, but per year. not everyone The mandate is in favor of set by the state is the abrupt and twofold, it not only perhaps even targets the academic confusing calendar, but also changes it may the actual hours of bring. instruction. “I believe “A three-unit that there must lecture would be be some other scheduled in two alternative,” time blocks of 85 said a frustrated minutes each instead J o h a n n e s of the current Sanchez of the three meetings of ASGCC. I think 61 minutes,” said they could have Gilenna. “Four- unit done a better job classes would meet of explaining in three time blocks the new block — Raymond Glienna and five-unit classes scheduling in four blocks. system because If approved, the block it affects the student body scheduling system would serve as and they’re leaving us at a the third change in the scheduling disadvantage.” system at GCC within the last two Other feasible options may years. have been possible, but in a This new system may be the system where the dollar holds
“Block Scheduling would allow classes to meet for longer time periods each day, but for fewer days a week”
great significance, the option that garners more funding is the option that will be adopted. Block scheduling may be the next big change for GCC, but it’s not the only issue being discussed by the Associated Students. It seems that the pick for John Davitt’s replacement is on the horizon as a decision may be reached by May 15. On a more bittersweet note, the recent death of Business Communications Professor Karen Marie Pederson has led to the establishment of a $2,500 scholarship co-sponsored by the ASGCC Scholarship Reserve and the Scholarship Foundation. With the budget always looming overhead the May 4 ASGCC Budget Submittal deadline is rapidly approaching as the Finance Committee debates the allocation of funds. After weeks of deliberation and analysis over the distribution of the organization’s $260,000 budget the Finance Committee, headed by David Arakelyan, has finally put together the Campus Project Applications. The committee spent a record two hours presenting eight budget proposal applications to their fellow AS members and is scheduled to spend at least another week debating and voting
on the proposals. While several budget applications were approved by the ASGCC, such as $650 allotted to the Science Education Center for supplies they purchased during their Earth Day events and $2,818 for a new camera and equipment for the Photography Department, the voting was slowed down by some more controversial proposals. The campus project application that generated the most debate was the Armenian Student Association’s request for $800 in order to print 250 brochures. The AS finally approved an amount of $400, but not everyone agreed with the decision. “I don’t know how 250 brochures are going to make an impact,” said ASGCC member Arpineh Hovasapyan. “If you’re going to make brochures you should make a thousand to pass out. It’s too expensive because they can make brochures like the ones we make for less money.” With four budget proposals approved, the ASGCC must spend several more hours making decisions regarding the distribution of their funds.
Anna Margaryan can be reached at Anna_Margaryan@elvaq.com
Board of Trustees Selects Candidate, Elects Officers By Michael Alpert
EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER
T
he college board of trustees has unanimously named Audre Levy as the primary candidate for president of Glendale College at its April 17 meeting. The next step was an on-site visit of Levy’s current institution, Los Angeles Southwest College. “We will be taking a look at her leadership styles,” said Anita Quinonez Gabrielian, the Board of Trustees’ former president. “But we have also contacted the other three candidates and asked if they
still want to be considered for the job, and they all said yes.” The Board had elections at the meeting with unanimous votes for President Dr. Kathleen BurkeKelly, Vice-President Dr. Armine Hacopian, and Clerk Victor I. King. Also on the agenda for the meeting was a presentation by Patrick McCallum, the college’s legislative advocate, on the changes that will be taking place in the school’s non-credit programs with $30 million being allocated to non-credit education programs. “Glendale is one of a few cities which has their community college district house the adult education program,” said McCallum. “Students who go
through community college adult education programs are more successful than those at the K-12 level.” “About 30 percent of our 7,000 students who start out as non-credit move on to get an AA degree,” said McCallum, “and the percentage of students at the K-12 adult education level who move on to get an AA degree is substantially less.” “Statewide, the dropout rate in high schools is 30 percent,” said McCallum. “In the urban Los Angeles area the dropout rate is closer to 50 percent, and it [is] even higher [among] Black and Latino males.” “These students are coming back later on with major educational and vocational issues,” stressed
McCallum, “and we need to reach out to them.” Recommendations were submitted for new classes to be adopted into the college’s official course offerings. These classes include Child Development 160: Guiding Children and Adolescents, Media Arts 103: Introduction to Digital Cinematography, and History 152: Radicals and Rebels: Social Protest in the 1960s. Also submitted were the proposal of two new certificate options in the fields of Restaurant Supervision and Hospitality Supervision. Michael Alpert can be reached at Michael_Alpert@elvaq.com
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Friday, April 28, 2006
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NEWS
Staff Voices Frustrations Over Parking Issues By Pauline Guiuan
EL VAQUERO NEWS EDITOR
A
forum was held April 18 to address members of the campus classified staff who have become increasingly impatient and frustrated over the past few weeks because of parking difficulties brought about by the construction of the parking structure in Lot B. Former staff parking lots have been opened to students to compensate for the 350 spaces taken up by the Lot B construction, forcing staff to park off campus in lots and structures at the First Congregational Church and along Burchett and Verdugo roads. A shuttle service takes them back and forth between campus and these parking areas at various times during the day. As a result, staff members are either late for work or are inconvenienced by waiting for the shuttle, which only comes once every hour. “It’s a very funny situation, and very awkward,” said psychology professor Michael Dulay, who sent the first in a series of e-mail exchanges between faculty, staff and the college police regarding
the parking situation. Many of these e-mail messages contain complaints and “well-made arguments and suggestions” for improving the situation. “People who have been working here for many years are forced to take the shuttle,” Dulay said. Dulay added that the staff and faculty are frustrated “by the lack of response from the college police,” who are primarily responsible for organizing and implementing the new parking system. “The classified staff wanted answers from campus police,” Dulay said. “All we got was a couple of e-mails back.” As a result, Lawrence Serot, Vice President of Administrative Services, decided to conduct a public forum for the staff. About 30 classified staff members came to voice their frustrations over parking at the Science Center. Campus Police Chief Steve Wagg and police spokesperson Nidal Kobaissi were present to answer questions and clear up misunderstandings. The forum began with Serot explaining the construction and staff parking situations in detail.
“Clearly we lose spaces because the contractor needs space to work,” Serot said. “We end up actually losing around 400 spaces.” He added that there has been “some real success” with the stacked parking system for students while acknowledging that it has indeed been more difficult for the staff. Serot also acknowledged that the announcement of the present parking scheme was “last minute.” “It was last-minute only because we were [trying to] find alternatives from sending everyone down to Burchett,” Serot explained. Steve Wagg added more details and said that e-mails regarding the construction were sent by President Davitt as far back as November. He also said that parking for staff was based mainly on seniority; those who had been employed by the college longer “get their choice of lot.” “We did the best we could do under the circumstances,” Wagg said. However, the staff present at the forum said that they were already very familiar with the system; their source of frustrations came from their not being involved
in the decision-making process and the lack of response from the police, especially since more of them tend to miss the shuttle, show up late for work and end up having their pay docked. “When you guys were planning this last fall, you should’ve put together a committee to come up with solutions,” said staff member Sarah Williams. “The upset is that we weren’t consulted; we weren’t made a part of the process. It’s very insulting assuming that we want to help but just saying we have to do this.” Others complained that they did not see senior employees being prioritized for parking. “There are so many ‘reasonable accommodations,’” said another staff member, referring to the fact that certain employees are given employee parking if they are required to leave campus more than once during the day. One example is an employee who has to leave work to ensure the care and safety of her sick, elderly mother. “We did make an effort to try and address people with special needs,” Serot said. “This wasn’t done bureaucratically. We made every effort to accommodate
people, not going only on seniority.” Another staff member suggested that the shuttle schedule be changed to arrive every 15 to 20 minutes during the rush hour, and every half an hour between noon and 2 p.m. Serot, Wagg and Kobaissi all agreed that improvements need to be made. “I hope we clean up the process in time for fall,” Serot said. “If you want to pull together a group of people to talk about this, I’m willing to have an adhoc committee. We also need to bring faculty into this.” Wagg said that the shuttle schedule will also be changed. “I’m sure we can have [the shuttle arrive] every 25 to 20 minutes,” he said. A solution to the communication problems between the staff and police will be an online forum. “You can send in your concerns and special needs, and we’ll put them all up and address them,” said Serot. Pauline Guiuan can be reached at Pauline Guiuan@elvaq.com See related articles on page 4
Campus Fair Celebrates Earth Day By Pauline Guiuan
EL VAQUERO NEWS EDITOR
E
nvironmental awareness took on a fun and festive feel April 6 as the Earth Day Fair drew people on campus to Plaza Vaquero through music, games, prizes and information booths with colorful and interesting displays. The event was one of the highlights in the month-long EcoFest celebration. EcoFest, spearheaded by the Students’Association for Global Awareness (SAGA), features a series of lectures, film viewings and workshops designed to promote environmental awareness on campus during the entire month of April. The Fair, which is usually held on Earth Day itself, took place on an earlier date this year because the official Earth Day, April 22, fell on the week of spring break, according to
SAGA’s president Gloria Tapia. “We’ve been planning these events since winter,” said Tapia. “It’s an entire month of ecofriendly events.” The theme for this year’s Earth Day, according to Tapia, is climate change. “I personally don’t think that students have much knowledge about what’s happening around the world,” Tapia added. “So we worked together with the Science Center and decided to do everything bigger and better this year.” Various nonprofit organizations and environmental groups came to campus to set up information tables along the Plaza and hand out materials on a variety of ecological topics such as energy and water conservation and ocean and forest preservation. These groups include Heal the Bay, TreePeople, Verdugo Hills Sierra [See Earth Day, page 13]
Photo by Pauline Guiuan
Carla Armendriz, a nursing student, participates in Earth Day events in Plaza Vaquero.
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Friday, April 28, 2006
NEWS
School Loses Eight Trees, but Parking Progresses By Rachel Mills
EL VAQUEROSTAFFWRITER
B
ulldozers roared across the landscape of parking lot B on April 13 as they demolished eight trees that were on the site of the future parking structure. The trees have been removed from the lot to make way for two lanes coming in and two lanes coming out. Kindra Girard, a biology professor, identified the trees as being a type of conifer, or pine. They are not locally protected species, which include sycamore and oak trees. The trees are neither rare nor indigenous to the area, and Girard expressed that in her opinion, wildlife would be minimally impacted by their removal. Bill Taylor, Director of Business Services, stated that the the trees created a potential safety hazard as they blocked the line of vision for motorists using the traffic lanes on Mountain Ave. They were also infested with pine beetles, and their treatment was becoming expensive. “We do not have enough in the budget to treat
these trees anymore,” said Taylor. He added that new landscaping will replace the trees that have been removed. While some students are upset at the loss of trees others are enthusiastic about the introduction of the traffic lanes. “It will help because parking’s already hectic and the more room, the better,” said Cassy Vasile, 18. The Honors Biology Club shared a different perspective on the issue. Many students were upset and disturbed at the loss of the trees. “I don’t feel good. Even if it isn’t a native tree there’s life that shouldn’t be disturbed,” said Elana Shebani, 21. Leranik Honarchian, 19, and the Honors Biology Club president, was in agreement with her fellow club member regarding the loss of the trees. Judging from a recent flurry of campus e-mails, many people have conflicting feelings regarding the fate of the trees that are now gone. Rachel Mills can be reached at Rachel_Mills@elvaq.com
Access Issues of Disabled Students Compounded by Stormy Weather [Letter, from page 2] there are vehicles obstructing the whole pathway, a stop sign and effectively blocking the entire pick up / drop off area. March 26 was the day that all the safeguards that are in place for disabled students broke down. The elevators were malfunctioning, the trams that pick disabled students up and take them to the pick up area were only running at about 50 percent capacity, stand no. 1 was blocked by cars and it was raining, hard. It was a nightmare. I wondered, “Where are the police cadets and school police? Why aren’t they monitoring the situation?” As I was waiting for my vehicle to pick me up, I observed an officer in his patrol car. I stopped him and told him about the situation of the car blocking the pathway, therefore, our vehicle could not pick us up. No officer was ever observed within this area
directing or even issuing citations. Nothing came of my complaint. There are too many cars in this area; are they all authorized before entering? I hope these things get fixed. The elevators are in need of repair, and blocking the pathway to the disabled student’s stand no.1 is just unacceptable. -Jorge Acevedo
Jorge Acevedo is the founder of Delta Sigma Omicron, a fraternal organization which addresses the needs of disabled students. Delta Sigma Omicron meets Tuesdays from 12-1 p.m. in SF 119. All GCC students are welcome without regard to disability. www.deltasigmaomicron.org
Photo by Jorge Acevedo Viewed from disabled student stand no. 1, the stop sign and van access area are blocked by parked cars.
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Friday, April 28, 2006
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NEWS
Baja Field Studies Program Purchases Mexican Real Estate in Bahia de los Angeles By Ramela Isagholian
EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER
“T
he Baja Field Study was one of the best academic experiences I had during my college years and that field study made me want to be a biologist,” says Steve James, who attended the Baja field study in 1982 and is now a Sacramento City College biology professor. The program, an intensive learning experience in Baja California, has been active over the last 33 years and has offered instruction in 27 different subjects such as marine biology, conversational Spanish and philosophy. “We create a learning community,” said Jose Mercade, the director of the Baja program. “The students over the years come back and let us know of the experience they gained from this program. They even send donations.” Several donations, each one in the amount of $750, have been made by Kent Waters, a former GCC student from 1980. As Mercade explained, Waters had been so inspired by this experience that he has been sending donations since he graduated from the college. According to Mercade, this program is very unique and the station is right on the beach of the Sea of Cortez. He added, “It’s an academic and an experiential program where students learn by seeing most of the things related to the subject they are studying.” “What I really liked about the program is that it was more
of an adventure than a regular class,” said Maher Abdel-Sattar, a student who attended the field study in the summer of 2005. “We were put in extreme conditions to adapt to: hot temperatures, long days of snorkeling in the water, being in an isolated fisherman town of barely 400 people, sleeping outside on the beach every night, swimming and interacting with various interesting sea creatures [such as] octopuses, sting rays, puffer fish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, huge sea stars, sea lions and dolphins. It was just amazing,” said AbdelSattar. This field study has tried to keep the cost of the program low during the past years and, according to Mercade, it costs less compared to the other study abroad programs. Students currently pay $780 to $795 for a full two-week program and the price will remain the same or possibly go lower. This year, the college’s Board of Trustees took advantage of the opportunity to purchase a property to host the Baja field studies program. A facility will be built on the site. GCC has been renting the station for the last 33 years and the district decided to buy property because the program has been continuously active. The leased property is in the same town and is located a few miles from the rented one. “The program used to be much larger but because of financial problems and some budget cuts it has been cut down … over the past years,” said Lawrence Serot, GCC Executive Vice President of Administrative Services. “But the feeling is that we could do more
[things] down there if we owned a piece of property.” Currently, the program is run during the summer intersession and the students spend the nights sleeping outside but “by having dormitories we can run the program during the cold months of the year,” said Serot. The weather gets down to 50 degrees at nights during winter. According to Serot, the budget for this program is $350 thousand from which $125 thousand is to be spent on the purchase of the property and the rest to build the facility. “But this may go up,” said Serot. The college is trying to lower the cost of this project by hiring a Mexican contractor, and, according to Serot, “the structure will be made with the same standards that buildings are made here.” There will be six small
structures built separately and, according to Mercade, “We are hoping to run two different programs at the same time.” Serot said that GCC has most of its equipment in place and the program will continue using it. “We are not planning to use any of this budget to buy more [supplies], but Mercade may send a special request to the instructional people and ask for more equipment.” The college owns some biology equipment such as boats and a disabled student’s wheelchair which allows them to use it inside the water and on the sand. But, according to Mercade, the college may need some geology and oceanography equipment as well. A total of 300 students are going to be served in this program each year. The program will also make it possible for different classes to organize field trips, according to Mercade.
As soon as the mortgage is paid in full, the college will have no further rental costs, which will give an opportunity to the students to use the station and the facility as often as they wish. The only cost remaining would be the cost of the maintenance of the equipment and the structures in Baja. As Mercade explained, GCC owns a few boats and biology equipment kept in a Baja rental station. “One of the goals we have is to keep the cost reasonable,” said Mercade. “Because with each $5 we add to the cost we will loose a student.” The cost of this program 30 years ago was $80.
Ramela Isagholian can be reached at Ramela_Isagholian@elvaq.com
In this Oct. 8, 1982 El Vaquero photo, a friendly pilot whale swims with a snorkeling student in the Sea of Cortez.
Audre Levy Shines at Public Forum [LEVY, from Page 4] by Dr. Audre Levy, Dr. Sharon Kaye Dyer and finally Dr. Bonita Jacobs. Copies of their biographies were available for perusal and on the back, there were public response forms for the audience to fill out and turn in after the forum ended. Each candidate had 45 minutes to answer 10 questions asked by the Board of Trustees
as well as a few selected questions from the audience. Armineh Dereghishian, ASGCC president, asked each of the candidates the same 10 questions to help both the Board of Trustees and the public get to know each of the candidates better. The forum was opened by Gabrielian who demonstrated her pride in GCC and informed the audience that it was the candidate who would be lucky to be here.
“And when we find [a new superintendent/president] they are going to see that they’ve inherited one of the very best community colleges, not only in California but in our whole country. And it is the excellent institution that it is because of its people.”
Alison Geller can be reached at Alison_Geller@elvaq.com
www.elvaq.com
Friday, April 28, 2006
9
NEWS
Immigration Issue Hits Campus By Carlos Villarreal EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER
S
o far, 2006 has been a rocky year for the over 12 million people who call the United States home, but are living here illegally. With the debates heated and opinions given out like kittens, politicians on both sides of the immigration issue are trying to reach a compromise on a bipartisan immigration bill while striving to not alienate their constituencies, many of which could be recent immigrants or rabidly antiimmigration activists. “Politicians are now seeing Latinos as voters,” said Fabiola Torres, an Ethnic Studies professor at GCC and CSUN. “These politicians have to appease their constituencies, which are becoming largely Latino in the U.S.” Torres and other proimmigration activists have all rallied behind the Latino community in the face of the proposed anti-immigration legislation. The debate has created social and political divides; at the heart of the matter are people whose only real crime was being born on foreign soil. As waves of protests make front-page news, the American public cannot help but face the reality of the immigration issue. On May 1 pro-immigrant activists in the U.S. and Mexico will be hosting a nation-wide boycott, asking all of Hispanic ethnicity to boycott American goods and businesses in aims to put pressure on U.S. law makers. Organizers of “The Great American Boycott” are urging immigrants in the U.S. to skip work and avoid purchasing any items in order to demonstrate the economic power immigrants contribute to the U.S. South of the border, activists are urging Mexicans to boycott American owned businesses such as Wal-Mart, which is Mexico’s largest retailer. Some Mexican Government officials are also lending support to the protest, “We want to show the power we have as Mexicans,” said Carlos Chavez y Pacho, vice president of the chamber of commerce in Piedras Negras, across from Eagle Pass, Texas.
The debate over if this political by the public?” move will help or discredit Some see the proposed antithe immigrant movement is immigration legislation recently causing a divide in the Hispanic surfacing as a sign of prejudice. community. “Many have the common Some organizers of the mass- perception that all illegal march protests are now having immigrants are Mexican,” said second thoughts Torres. “As on a nation-wide where many boycott. are saying Some strong immigrants risks may apply are a threat to to those who take the U.S, all the part in the boycott; terrorists in individuals who the 9/11 attack miss work that had visas and day could possibly were in the lose their jobs. country legally Other activists and now dayare saying the laborers are boycott could being labeled send the wrong terrorists.” message, that C h r i s immigrants are Kocharians, anti-American. 18, a GCC Some backlash biology major, has already been felt that anti-Arsineh Avakian seen on CNN’s immigration Lou Dobbs legislation Tonight as Dobbs read a viewer’s would target people unfairly. letter that stated, “A day without “I know a lot of people who Mexicans is a fabulous idea, I would be affected by this kind wonder what we can do get them of legislation. It almost seems to extend it to a year.” racist.” L.A. Union leaders, community Juan Guillen, 20, a sociology leaders and Cardinal Roger major, felt that law makers could Mahoney are asking immigrants protect the U.S and Mexican to attend peaceful protests after border and not have to punish work and school, according to undocumented immigrants, “I National Pubic Radio’s Mandalit feel the idea behind the proposed del Barco. law is wrong; it will affect 12 No mater the approach, million people who are so-called immigration activists are still living here illegally. The borders staying focused on their main could be protected and not have objective, helping the over 12 to target these people.” million undocumented people in While others feel that stricter the U.S. obtain their legal status. legislation is needed, Arsineh April 10 added to a second Avakian, 20, a political-science week of nationwide protests major said, “I am completely for among U.S. cities. Los Angeles, the laws, plus stricter regulations New York, Washington and and restrictions on illegal aliens.” Dallas once again held proIf a compromise is met that immigration demonstrations, allows immigrants to attain legal drawing hundreds of thousands in status, some anti-immigration support. activist rather have the welcoming Counter demonstrations were gates locked, Avakian adds, “I also held; anti-immigration believe the laws should not be activists protested in front of the encouraging illegals [immigrants] Mexican consulate in Phoenix, by rewarding them with receiving Ariz., where they burned the amnesty.” Mexican flag. On April 5, the Senate leaders “These anti-immigration of both parties came to an groups can take their message agreement on a bill that will allow too far, becoming militant, illegal immigrants who’ve been in alienating politicians or any form the U.S. for five years to apply for of support,” said Torres. “Who citizenship, only to have the bill wants to be affiliated with these come to a stand-still on April 6. groups when they are seen as The bill was drafted by racist or perhaps even terrorists Republican Senators Mel Martinez
“I believe the laws should not be encouraging illegals by rewarding them with receiving amnesty.”
of Florida and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., called it an “enormous improvement” over Wisconsin’s Republican Congressman James F. Sensenbrenner’s bill. The Sensenbrenner bill would have called for all undocumented people in the country to be deported and not given the chance for citizenship. The bill met largescale protests nationwide. The debate over the Sensenbrenner bill had drawn a line between Conservative and Liberal Republicans, such as Specter and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who apposed the bill. “I never thought the issue that would split the Republican vote would be immigration, rather than abortion,” said Torres. If new immigration legislation is passed, that would include a guest worker program and amnesty, “it would recognize the extraordinary contributions and the incredible exploitation of immigrants over the decades,” said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.
Kennedy said the bill of that sort would teach a lesson, “You’re welcome here, if you work hard, you’re devoted to your family, you play the rules and pay your taxes.” Under a recent tax law, undocumented people can still pay taxes. They may file for a federal tax ID number and pay federal taxes; many do by the tune of $16-billion in 2002 according to The Center for Immigration Studies. Torres said this sends a mix message to the public, “that immigrants are not welcome but their hard earned money is.” The earth could have stood still on March 25 as 500,000 bodies dotted downtown Los Angeles as part of the nation-wide protest against the anti-immigration bill, HR4437 (Sensenbrenner). What many are calling an historic event; one of the nation’s largest immigration protests ever. The immigrant-led march through 26 blocks of downtown L.A. [See BILL, page 12]
Photo by Carlos Villarreal
Ethnic Studies Professor Fabiola Torres believes that immigration, not abortion, will be the issue that splits the Republican vote.
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Friday, April 28, 2006
www.elvaq.com 11
POLITICAL FEATURE
Armenians Protest
A Brief Chronology of Major Developments Related to the Armenian Genocide, 1915 - 1923 April 24, 1915 After months of escalating persecutions, arrests, and relatively small-scale killings in various regions throughout the Ottoman Empire, hundreds of prominent Armenians are arrested and later executed without trial. The Ottoman government proceeds with a systematic process to eliminate the Armenian population: Armenian soldiers in the Ottoman Army are disarmed, used as slave labor, and eventually massacred; able-bodied men in villages and towns are arrested and killed; the remaining population, mostly women, children, and old men are deported en masse; along the way, there is widespread robbery, rape, massacres, and deaths through starvation and exposure. May 24, 1915 The Allied Powers issue a joint statement condemning the Ottoman authorities for their “connivance and often assistance” in the massacres, and further declares that they will hold them “personally responsible” for “these new crimes of Turkey against humanity and civilization.” May 28, 1918 The Republic of Armenia is established as an independent state in the Caucasus, on territories that used to be part of the Russian Empire. Nov. 11, 1918 World War I ends with the defeat of Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire. Out of a pre-war population of more than 2 million, approximately 150,000 Armenians remain in the northern part of the Empire, mostly in the capital city of Constantinople. Several hundred thousand injured and destitute Ottoman Armenian refugees are in Armenia and in the southern parts of the Empire, such as Syria. Over a million have been killed.
1915 Genocide Denial
the verdicts declared that the intention of the former leadership was “the organization and execution of the crime of massacre.” But soon afterwards, an emerging Turkish nationalist movement, opposed to the Ottoman government, begins a campaign of cover-up and denial.
Story by Olga Ramaz
Aug. 10, 1920 The Allied Powers, the Ottoman Empire and the Armenian Republic, sign the Treaty of Sevres in which the Ottoman government agrees to the transfer of a portion of Ottoman territory to the Republic of Armenia and agrees to restore the properties seized from the Armenians during the deportations and massacres. Later in the year, at the request of American President Woodrow Wilson, the State Department delineats the borders of the territory to be transferred to Armenia, but the Treaty of Sevres is never ratified.
Below, a young girl raises her fist in protest during the march. Arshalus Kodzanyan, Ani Daniyelyan and Rima Nazaryan light candles at St. Mary’s Apostolistic Armenian Church and say a prayer before heading to the protest.
Photography by Emmanuel Belviz
Oct. - Dec. 1920 The Turkish Nationalists--cooperating with the new Soviet regime-invade and seize a large part of the Armenian Republic, forcing what is left into the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, there are renewed deportations and massacres of the remaining Armenians in Ottoman territories which continue into 1923. The total number of dead is between one and 1.5 million Armenians.
F
July 24, 1923 The Allied Powers, Greece, and the newly formed Turkish Nationalist government of Mustafa Kemal Pasha sign the Treaty of Lausanne, which replaces the Treaty of Sevres. The new treaty contains no mention of Armenia or Armenians. The Armenian Question is buried and the crime against humanity becomes a victim of selective memory.
March - June 1919 The war-time Ottoman government leaders are put on trial by the postwar Ottoman government. One of
Above, ASA members gather among the crowd for the closing ceremony which included several speeches, prayer and a vocal performance.
- Compiled for El Vaquero by Levon Marashlian, Faculty Advisor for the A.S.A.
Passengers on a bus heading to the march, hold hands as a sign of of unity.
or 91 years the Turkish government has vehemently denied the annihilation of a million and a half Armenians. On Tuesday, the Armenian Student Association (ASA), with the help of the Associated Students of Glendale Community College (ASGCC), converted Plaza Vaquero into an outdoor classroom in order to educate the local community in regards to the genocide of 1915. “April 24, 1915, was when the Ottoman Turkish government gathered all the Armenian intellectuals in the Ottoman empire and killed them,” said ASA President Ani Daniyelyan. “What followed was eight years of suffering, cries and despair.” Through historical documents, video and photographs, the events leading up to and after the genocide were depicted at large before students, faculty and staff. “Even though we’re in Glendale, there’s so many people that still don’t know about the genocide,” said Daniyelyan.
Aside from educational material on display, the afternoon was also filled with speeches, a performance by Tina Issa and Marina Terteryan of the ASA at Cal State Northridge, and lyricist Knowledge, who rapped about the Armenian genocide. “All the other genocides came from that [Armenian genocide],” said Knowledge, who believes that if everybody in the United Nations had been on the ball and given recognition to the Armenian genocide, the number of deaths as a result of mass murders would be significantly lower. As a sign of solidarity, yellow ribbons were handed out in order to show support for John Evans, the American ambassador to Armenia whose job is in jeopardy for publicly acknowledging the mass extermination of Armenians as a genocide. “He did nothing but speak the truth,” said Daniyelyan. On Monday, several hundred members of the Armenian community, including members of the ASA at Glendale College, made their presence
felt at the annual march held in Little Armenia, located in Hollywood. “We demanded justice, nothing else,” said Musheg Akopyan, ASA club advisor. “But we have to work everyday to get Turkey to recognize the Armenian genocide.” Los Angeles City councilman, Eric Garzetti, gave an opening speech and explained the special connection that L.A. has with the Armenian community. “Eight months ago I left Little Armenia to go to big Armenia,” said Garzetti. “I spent time by the solemn plain in the capital of Yerevan, the largest city of Armenians in the world, bringing greetings and friendship to the second largest city of Armenians in the world, Los Angeles.” Garzetti’s trip to Armenia spawned an agreement between Yerevan and L.A. to become sister cities so that Armenia’s past would never be forgotten. “We lost too many fellow brothers and sisters, and their memories are not forgotten, but they are uplifted,” he said. Entire families participated in the mass procession, from youngest to oldest. They waved flags, carried banners with slogans such as “shame on Turkey,” and shouted out demands for justice. The youngest member of the Garapetian family, 3 1/2 - year - old-
ASA Club Advisor Musheg Akopyan, President Ani Daniyelyan, Hrayr Abgaryan, Treasurer Sevada Isayan and Rima Nazaryan, represent GCC at the annual march held in Little Armenia. Stepan, proudly waved an Armenian flag made out of construction paper and a straw. Garapetian, like almost every other child participating in the protest, were all in agreement that the reason as to why they were in attendance was because their people were struggling. On her way to the march former
GCC student Anahid Davidian, reminisced about her grandmother’s struggle during the Armenian genocide. Davidian’s grandmother was a survivor of the genocide and raised her own child as well as orphaned Armenian Children. Due to her family’s struggle in the genocide, Davidian makes it a
point to participate in the protests. “The Armenian genocide is like blood running through everyArmenian’s veins,” she said. “It is a part of all of our lives and that is why it is important for us to honor and remember our people.” Olga Ramaz can be reached at Olga_Ramaz @elvaq.com
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Friday, April 28, 2006
www.elvaq.com
NEWS
New Immigration Legislation Sparks Heated Controversy [BILL, from page 9] showcased to the world what the hat the L.A. Weekly dubbed, “The Sleeping Giant.” Half a million men, women, and children all marched peacefully arm in arm together from Olympic Blvd. along Spring Street and Broadway, to City Hall, wearing white t-shirts, waving American flags and chanting, “Si se puede!” (Yes we can!). The high point of the gathering came when Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addressed the mass crowd from a podium outside City Hall, “We came together to say that we are workers, not criminals, that we work hard, we pay our taxes, we live by the rules and want this great America to take us into account.” Protesters cheered when Mexican radio host, Eddie “Piolin” Sotelo, a former illegal immigrant himself, announced from the podium that “the march was the start of a new era.” Many credit Sotelo as being the sole reason the protest drew the numbers that it did. The week before, he urged other fellow Mexican-radio host to help promote the march and unite anyone who would lend an ear. Other American cities also
were host to protests; Chicago, southern border and prosecuting Denver, Milwaukee and a march anyone caught helping and in Phoenix, was the biggest abetting an illegal immigrant. demonstration in city history. Under the proposed legislation, Following the mass protest on any undocumented immigrant March 25, students from across living in the U.S. would fall the city held high under “unlawful school walk-outs presence” and on March 28, be considered bringing further a felon, subject attention to what to jail time, and the Hispanic be barred from community future legal status was calling “an and re-entry into injustice.” the country. The HR4437 Immigrants, bill was the including brainchild of asylum-seekers, Sensenbrenner,. victims of human The bill was trafficking, passed by victims of the House of domestic abuse Representatives and children -Antonio Villaraigosa in Dec of 2005 apprehended with a vote of along an 239 to 182. It was later dropped international border would also by the Senate in early April. fall victim to the proposed law. The bill was summarized as the The used of expedited removal border protection, anti-terrorism would be permitted, where and illegal immigration control boarder agents may remove a act of 2005. person seeking potential asylum The bill contained three main without providing a trial before points to suppress the flow of an immigration judge or qualified undocumented immigrants into adjudicator. the U.S. by severely punishing The Department of Homeland anyone without legal status, Security would be required to erecting a 700-mile fence on the build a 700-mile stretch of fence
“We came together to say that we are workers, not criminals”
on the Mexican border, at points with the highest number of immigrant deaths contributed to entering the country illegally; the arid deserts of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The third part of the law would target anyone or any organization who assists an undocumented individual in residing or remaining in the U.S. knowingly or with reckless disregard to the individual’s legal status. This could include aid workers, such as church personnel who provide shelter or other basic needs to undocumented people. Sensenbrenner defended the legislation, saying he is trying to stop people from exploiting illegal immigrants for cheap labor, drug trafficking and prostitution according to an article recently published by The Associated Press. Many are saying that without the cheap labor immigrants provide, the U.S. economy will take a huge hit. “It has always been normal for capitalism to thrive on cheap labor,” said Torres. If immigration is restricted, who will take the jobs traditionally filled by immigrants, dish washers, bus boys, car wash attendants, landscapers, and restaurant workers, to name a few.
“Big business do not want to give up immigration; immigrants fill those jobs that Americans refuse to do because of the low wages,” adds Torres. Would high school or college graduates be willing to wash dishes, bus tables or wash cars for $6.75 or less an hour? If a compromise is not met on immigration reform, it is uncertain who will be the greater victim, immigrants or the U.S. A nation founded on immigration, a once fundamental American value, immigrants are now once again being cast as the scapegoat, such as the Irish and Jewish were in the early 1900’s. Now both Irish and Jewish communities are staples in American culture. Perhaps the famous Ellis Island greeting, “Give me your tired, your poor…,” should be revised to something more modern. “Sorry, we’re full. Turn the boat around.” “Perhaps the greatest victim could be Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger when he loses his maid,” said Torres.
Carlos Villarreal can be reached at Carlos_Villarreal@elvaq.com
Campus Comments What do you think about the immigration issue? Jesse Horowitz 18 UNDECIDED “I feel that… Umm let me think about this. I think we [U.S.] might as well control South America because we’re so involved already in their economy and politics. We might as well assimilate them [immigrants] into America and unite the world.”
Ainss Kahni 19 PSYCHOLOGY
“America was built by immigrants, so we [U.S.] should be more open and supportive of the current immigrant issue.”
Donald Oliver 18 CHILD DEVELOMENT “I feel that immigration will happen regardless because of society. As long as they [immigrants] don’t make a nuisance of it and eventually get their legal status, it’s ok.”
Hector Anderson 28 MATHEMATICS “I believe that any country, whether rich or poor, has the right to protect their borders if they are being abused by any minority or race. It’s part of principals and responsibilities to protect themselves.”
— Compiled and photographed by Carlos Villarreal
www.elvaq.com
Friday, April 28, 2006
13
FEATURE
Earth Day Entertains, Enlightens and Offers an Environmental Crossword [Earth Day, from page 6] Club and City of Glendale Water and Power. The City of Glendale Water and Power representatives even gave out free light bulbs that use up less electricity, and the school’s Honors Biology Club put up an exhibit on “Is Bottled Water EcoFriendly?� Fifteen wooden panels containing information on how to protect the earth also lined the plaza. Called “Fifteen Steps to a Better World,� these panels contained earth-friendly tips such as “become carbon neutral,� “save energy,� “plant trees,� and “recycle.� This information was later used in a crossword puzzle game among attendees of the Fair, through which several students won organic skin care products. At noon, Patty Malone, Green Deputy for LA City Council District 4, gave the opening remarks for the event. “We all have an inherent responsibility to protect the environment on the individual and civic level,� said Malone in her speech. Other Fair activities included a rap session on the theme “What can be done to reduce global warming?� led by professor Paul Kazarian and a film viewing of the moving documentary [See Earth Day, page 16]
Crossword puzzle created by Nalini Lasiewicz; for more clues go to www.glendale.edu/ecofest. Return completed crossword to CS173. On Tuesday, there will be a drawing from the correctly completed crosswords at the EcoFest Wrap Party. 10 names will be drawn and winners may receive a $5 gift certificate to the Cafe Vaquero, a $5 gift certificate to the Glendale College Bookstore or Alkaitis Holistic skin care products.
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Friday, April 28, 2006
www.elvaq.com
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
‘Hay Fever’ Promises to Drop Jaws By Stephen Hotchkiss EL VAQUERO STAFF WRITER
T
he world has changed since 1925, but GCC’s theatre arts program is proving that family life was just as ridiculously hilarious then as it is today in their rendition of Noel Coward’s “Hay Fever” which premiered Thursday. “Hay Fever,” in typical drawing room style, takes place solely at the home of the Bliss family in the British countryside, and follows four unsuspecting guests as they are exposed to the exaggerated eccentricities of the Bliss family. The GCC cast counts with the directorial talents of Kim Mowery, as he has spent considerable time in England studying the subtle art of British theatre. Having also been an actor in this play, Mowery says that “Hay Fever” is a “comedy of manners” and the success of the play depends on
the delivery of the actors. “‘Hay Fever’ is all about behavior,” said Mowery, “It’s a bunch of crazy people in one room. Nothing happens, but the people are very funny.” The nine members of this ensemble cast, without one defined lead role, must play off each other to accentuate the unique comedic attributes of each character. Alex Wooten, who plays the mother and recently retired actress Judith Bliss, describes her character as “a melodramatic prima donna.” Apart from the possible scene stealing theatrics of Judith, Wooten maintains “that [“Hay Fever”] is very much an ensemble cast. Every character interacts with each other.” Reminiscent of many modern works, from Neil Simon’s earlier plays to the overall style of “Seinfeld,” “Hay Fever” examines, with comical insight, the behaviors and interactions between characters.
Photo by Jane Pojawa
Tiffany Brain plays a shy flapper seduced by Chris Michael Beltran, the spoiled son.
Photo by Jane Pojawa
The cast: Meagon Ligons, Tiffany Brain,Vatche Asmerian, Mario Mason, Chris Michael Beltran, Jordan Grout, Alex Wooten, Emily Peters “Sorel” and Jessyca Bluwal “Clara.”
The punch lines that receive the biggest laughs are deceptively subtle and illustrate the importance of timing and poise in the performance required from the actors; to name a few, “Go on,” “No there isn’t, is there?” and “Nudity can be very beautiful,” said Mario Mason who plays the guest of Sorel Bliss, Richard Geatham. The cast also includes Jordan Grout as David Bliss, the son, Simon Bliss, who is played by Chris Michael Beltran, and Sorel, the daughter, who is played by Emily Peters. The unfortunate houseguests are played by Meagon Ligons, Mario Mason, Vatche Asmerian, and Tiffany Brain. Jessyca Bluwal has the role of Clara. A crucial component of the performance is the mastery of the British accent. Mowery, has been coaching the cast in order to develop an authentic-sounding, upper-class British accent.
Mowery claims that because “Americans talk in the back of their mouths,” the British accent is best achieved by “dropping the jaw.” With a sophisticated wit, “Hay Fever” aims to drop, not only the jaws of the cast, but also the jaws of the audience. “Hay Fever,” opens Thursday, April 27 in the Glendale Community College Auditorium Mainstage Theatre. Performances are at 8 p.m. on April 28, 29, May
4, 6, 12 and 13. The Sunday matinees are May 7 and 14 at 2 p.m. Tickets may be reserved in advance or purchased at the box office before each performance for $10 general, $6 students and seniors and $4 each for groups of 10 or more. Call 818-240-1000, ext. 5618 for reservations and information. Stephen Hotchkiss can be reached at Stephen_Hotchkiss@elvaq.com
Photo by Jane Pojawa
“Judith Bliss,” played by Alex Wooten, is a semi-retired actress plotting her next comeback.
Photo by Jane Pojawa
Emotions in the Bliss family are both shallow and dramatic. “Judith,” and the kids, “Sorel” and “Simon,” share a moment of feigned intimacy.
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15
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
‘Something’s Missing’ Gives Survivors Hope By Alison Geller
EL VAQUERO FEATURES EDITOR
A
6-year-old boy is kidnapped and raised by a pedophile for seven years before he manages to run away and get to safety. That’s when the play “Something’s Missing” begins; it’s about the war a mother wages to save her son’s life from his own selfdestruction. “I swore that I would not let this hate destroy me or my son; I swore I would not hate, not even [the] person who had . . . abducted my son. I promised I would somehow learn to forgive even him . . . that promise is harder to keep,” says the character Barbara Russell, played by Sarah Cross, the abducted boy’s mother. “Something’s Missing,” is one of the two plays that are currently being performed by the theatre arts department; it is running in repertory with “Hayfever.” “Something’s Missing” was written by one of GCC’s very own theatre arts professors, Ken Gray, and is being directed by a theatre professor from the University of Central Florida, Lani Harris, who directed the play in 2004 when it was performed at her college. “This is a very serious play and is not light-hearted,” said Gray. The play contains adult language and -Ken subject material. “I heard about [“Something’s Missing”] from Ken awhile back, about last summer, and I went to the site where it was at and printed it out, one of the earlier versions of it, and I fell in love with it,” said Carlo Morelli, 20, who plays Ryan, the boy who was abducted. “I felt like I had to be a part of it when he did it.” The play begins when Ryan returns home as a teenager and his parents, Barbara and Roger, played by George Mackey, try to reconnect with their son and the person he has become. Ryan however does not want to be coddled; he is very sullen and ashamed of what he had to do in order to survive the past seven years with Preston, played by
Davidjohn Morris, the man who had abducted and molested him. His mother though will not accept that she has lost her little boy, and she refuses to stand idly by as he seems intent on destroying the rest of his life, even as his father pulls away when he learns the truth of what happened to his son. “After this play opened in Florida, I was literally overwhelmed (and many times brought to tears) by the number of young men between 18 and 25, who knocked on my office door, or stopped me on campus to say that they had been molested, and how much this play had helped them,” said Harris. “They had never spoken about the abuse and never asked for help for fear they would be ostracized, their parents might reject or not believe them, or that their peers would believe they had ‘become’ gay as a result of the abuse.” This is one of the reasons Gray wrote the play. He had met someone who had been abused and basically saved himself. Originally Gray was going to have a female as the abducted child, but then changed it to a male because men are ‘stronger’ and they don’t usually admit to being molested. Gray did approximately two years of research for this play and has some very definite Gray opinions about child molestation and the parents and society’s role in the aftermath. “Our culture is infantile about sexuality,” said Gray. “As parents we’re ashamed that our children are victims. That shame about the human body is what destroys these children. We are so shocked they were molested and they are ashamed of it.” According to Wikipedia.com, “A wide range of psychological, emotional, physical, and social effects has been attributed to child sexual abuse, including anxiety, depression, obsession, compulsion, grief, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms such as flashbacks, emotional numbing, pseudo-maturity symptoms, and other more general dysfunctions
“Our culture is infantile about sexuality.”
Photo by Jane Pojawa
“Ryan,” front, played by Carlo Morelli, and his parents “Roger,” and “Barbara,” played by George C. Mackey and Sarah Cross, try to reconnect in “Something’s Missing.” Davidjohn Morris, rear, has the role of “Preston Roberts.”
such as sexual dysfunction, “The story itself; it’s social dysfunction, dysfunction controversial, but it’s something of relationships, poor education people can relate to in a general and employment records, eating way, even if it didn’t happen to disorders, self-mutilation…” you. There’s media about it, but And in Gray’s opinion the it’s not really talked about that media doesn’t help, “the media much,” said Morelli. “It seems reaches for the most prurient like a very good eye opener.” element, to a criminal extent. The thing that Morelli likes On one hand we make everyone most about the play is that “It’s ashamed of sexuality and on the satisfying. It starts out and other we use it to sell.” people are taken back by its Don’t be afraid because this subject matter. Then people grow play discusses with the characters a taboo. This and then at the is a taboo that end when you’ve happens far too already gotten to much in the world know the characters and needs to be and you’ve gotten confronted. to know the story “In the you don’t know same way that what’s going to be audiences might happening, then have avoided it has a satisfying ‘Anne Frank’, result.” if it had been “In the end, the described as ‘the play celebrates the -Ken Gray story of a child indomitable spirit who is killed by of this one family, the Nazis’, it is important to focus the determination of the boy’s on the fact that Ken’s play is so mother to save her son’s life much more than just the story of when so many abducted children a child who was molested,” said succumb to drugs, alcohol, Harris. “Instead, it deals with suicide and other forms of self the recovery and redemption of destruction,” wrote Gray on the the boy (into manhood), and his theatre arts department web site family. It is an inspiring story about “Something’s Missing”. “It of human survival under very difficult circumstances.” [See Missing, page 16]
“In the end, the play celebrates the indomitable spirit of this one family...”
‘Something’s Missing’ in Scotland By Alison Geller
EL VAQUERO FEATURES EDITOR
I
n August, a group of GCC theatre art students will be traveling to Edinburgh, Scotland to take theater professor Ken Gray’s play “Something’s Missing” to the 60th Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Festival Fringe is the “largest theatre festival in the world,” said Lani Harris, the guest director for “Something’s Missing.” Harris is a theatre professor from the University of Central Florida. In 2005 there were 1,800 shows performed at the festival, which is held annually. This year it will be taking place Aug. 6 to 28. According to Harris, who will be going with the students, they will be there from Aug. 12 to 27. [See Fringe, page 16]
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Friday, April 28, 2006
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FEATURE
Students on the Fringe
[Fringe, from page 15]
Since there are so many shows going on at the same time, the performers have to go out and entice people to go and see their particular performance. That’s why the students who are going are taking an improvisation class. “To get your show to be noticed and get an audience you really have to go out and perform and do something spectacular to get people’s interest,” said Carlo Morelli, who plays Ryan in “Something’s Missing.” “So we do improv, we’ll do little games that we invent to get participation with people on the street, and hopefully they won’t be too drunk…it’s Scotland!” This trip is being partially funded by both the ASGCC and the University of Central Florida. Harris was given a $1,000 grant from the University of Central Florida, Office of Women’s Research, to pay for the venue, and the ASGCC is paying for dormitories and publicity. This, however, does not cover all the costs and they are looking to get community sponsors to help pay for the student’s flights and they will also be doing fundraisers. This is truly an opportunity for these students. “It’s a great experience for me,” said Morelli. “I’m really looking forward to it.” Alison Geller can be reached at Alison_Geller@elvaq.com
VISIT US ONLINE
@
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‘Something’s Missing’ on Campus
[Missing, from page 15]
is her spirit, her sense of humor, and her love that reaches out and heals the man, his father, and, in some ways, the man who took her child.” Harris and Gray are taking “Something’s Missing” to the 60th Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland in August. See side bar. “Something’s Missing” opened April 20 in the Glendale Community College Auditorium Studio Theatre. Performances are scheduled at 8.m. on May 5, 11, 18, 19 and 20. Matinees are at 2 p.m. on April 29 and 30, May 6 and 13. Tickets are $10 general, $6 for students and seniors and $4 each for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to make reservations call (818) 2401000, ext. 5618. Due to limited space, there is no late seating. Alison Geller can be reached at Alison_Geller@elvaq.com
EcoFest Recruits Environmentalists [Earth Day, from page 6] which was about the endangered porcupine caribou herd. “I think it’s important for GCC to put this on because we need to have a new generation that cares about the environment,” said Lenise Andrade, a staff member of Heal the Bay, which is a nonprofit organization concerned with the preservation of California’s coasts. “It’s important to have new blood in this campaign.” Nalini Lasiewicz, Exhibit Coordinator of the college Science Education Center, said that the event seeks to teach GCC students how to
“live lives without using too much energy.” “Americans use more energy than any other country in the world,” Lasiewicz said. “We want them to learn about
“It’s important to have new blood in this campaign.” -Lenise Andrade alternative sources of energy, such as fossil fuels.” She also said that environmental awareness
is not the only benefit of EcoFest; it can also be of help to students in deciding their career path. “There’s a lot of jobs coming up in the energy field,” Lasiewicz said. These jobs were discussed the previous day in an oncampus panel discussion called “Careers in Energy.” Lasiewicz added that the fair teaches people to become environmental activists. “We want students to become passionate in their beliefs regarding different environmental issues,” she said. Pauline Guiuan can be reached at Pauline Guiuan@elvaq.com
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17
SPORTS
Men’s Tennis Team Optimistic For Playoffs By Jason Castro
EL VAQUERO SPORTS EDITOR
T
he reigning Western Southern Conference Champions are playoff bound and look to repeat their successes and play well in the upcoming tournaments against a tough division. The Vaqueros qualified for the Southern California Regional playoffs and finished second in the WSC. They are ranked no.4 in the playoffs. The 2005 season was their finest season since 2001. The men’s tennis team won the WSC division and reached the Southern California Regional Final, only to fall short to the tennis powerhouse College of the Desert. “We had a very good team last year,” said Coach Bob Mackay. They finished the season ranked number three in the state — a great accomplishment, considering they played in a difficult conference with rivals like Ventura College and Pierce College. With a whole new lineup this year, expectations prior to the beginning of the season were up in the air. Two of the top players had transferred and the team lacked experience. But veteran coach Mackay has instilled mental toughness in his players and has stressed team chemistry among his young squad. “This has been a wonderful
team to coach,” said Mackay. “They play tennis well.” Glendale opened up defense of its WSC title with an impressive 8-1 win over Santa Barbara on Feb. 23. The team is currently 8-2 in the WSC and 9-7 overall in the season. The team consists of good athletes and a clear sense of team chemistry. Led by Lew De Leon (7-1), Hakop Tadevosian (8-0), Norik Otuzbiryan (7-1), freshman Derik DerMegerdichian (6-1), and Craig Strazzeri (6-2). De Leon is the team’s top player; with a rich tennis background, he hopes to lead the way for the rest of the team. De Leon is a transfer from UNLV and also played in Northern Arizona University men’s squad in 2004. At 21, he has 1, trained with Rita Agassi, sister of tennis great Andre Agassi. “This season is going smooth,” said De Leon. “We’re thinking playoffs, and we’re all together.” Despite being humble, De Leon plays with fierce intensity and quickness on the tennis courts. Equipped with a powerful serve and a crisp backhand, he is sure to be a challenge for his opponents. “He’s a great teammate,” said Monte Burton, member of the men’s tennis team. Coach Mackay is in his third season after taking over in 2003 from Bob Donaghy. Mackay spent 41 years working for the city of Glendale. He coaches his team with patience and teaches them to stay focused.
“You have to utilize your kids,” said Mackay, “We stress academics and get them focused on school as well.” The team’s biggest challenge is facing their rival, Ventura. They have lost to them due to lack of depth. “Ventura’s team is very strong,” said coach Mackay, “But their top of the order is not that far ahead of us.”
A slow start affected the tennis squad’s overall record. Lately they have been more confident every time they step on the tennis courts. “Were a much better team now than we started.” said Coach Mackay. The men’s tennis team looks forward to playing in the Regional final in Bakersfield on May 4-6. They will also play on the Ojai
Invitational Thursday through Sunday.Look for them to fare well as they are well coached and have a strong drive as a team. “We have a good chance against anybody.” said Derik DerMegerdichian.
Jason Castro can be reached at Jason_Castro@elvaq.com
Photo by Jason Castro
Lew Deleon leaps in the air to deliver a powerful forehand return in a singles win over Allan Hancock College.
[Women’s Tennis, from page 18]
women’s tennis the Southern California Regionals in singles and doubles to be played May 4-6 in San Diego. Martin will represent the Vaqueros in singles and she will team with Araujo in doubles as well. Martin advanced to the quarterfinals of the WSC tournament Saturday in Ventura in singles as did the doubles teams of Araujo and Martin. The Vaqueros will also participate in the Ojai Invitational Thursday through Sunday.
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TRACK & FIELD The men’s and women’s team had some solid performances at the WSC Prelims Friday and Saturday in Santa Barbara. Qualifiers for the men and women advanced to the WSC finals Saturday in Moorpark. Several runners also qualified for the Southern California prelims Saturday, May 6 at Mt. Sac by virtue of their performances in the 10,000 meters finals Friday. For the women, Maribel Cespedes finished second in 38:53.11, Lilly Hernandez finished fifth in 39:59.44,Maria Castaneda finished sixth in 40:40.34 and Anna Rodriguez finished seventh in 41:06.40. All four runners posred personal best times. For the men, Ray Vasquez finished second in a personal best time
of 32:10.74 and Luis Castaneda finished sixth in 33:51.72. Qualifiers for the WSC finals for the women were Julissa Camacho in fourth place in her heat in the 400 meters in 1:03.19 and Sandra Martinez in fifth placein her heat of the 800 meters in 2:35.89. In the field events, Kristina Dartyan finished seventh in the pole vault by clearing eight feet and Cassy Vasile threw the discus 83-feet, three inches to qualify. Qualifiers for the men were Chris Marshall who won his heat of the 100 meters in 11.46 and Tomas Aguirre who won his heat in the 800 meters in 1:58.71. Luis Castaneda finished second in his heat of the 1500 meters in 4:09.53 as did Preston Richardson in his heat in 4:11.02 and Ray Vasquez finished third in his heat of the 1500 meters in 4:10.31 and Victor Rios finished 12th in his heat to qualify in 4:13.39. Michael Esquivel qualified in two events, the dicus with a third place finish in his flight with a throw of 146feet, seven inches. Several events including the 400 and 1600- meter relays, the 3000-meter steeplechase and the 5000 meters will take place Saturday in the Finals.
baseball Glendale is now 9-28 overall and 4-15 in the WSC South after
dropping two of three games last week.They fell to Citrus 15-4 Tuesday and 9-8 Thursdayand beat Mission 5-4 Saturday. In the win over Mission, Clay Young struck out six over six innings and got offensive support from Brian Bistagne, Chris Warters, Mike Valadez and Chris Hertz all doubled and Warters also drove in two runs and Valadez had two hits. The Vaqueros played at Mission Tuesday hosted Bakersfield Thursday and play at Bakersfield Saturday.
SOFTball TheVaqueros ended the season 11-19-1 overall and 7-13 in the WSC Blue Division after dropping four of five games last week. Thet lost a doubleheader to Bakersfield 3-0 and 9-1 Tuesday and beat Mission 4-2 Wednesday and then dropped a doubleheader to Valley 9-1 and 8-6 Friday. Saturday’s game against East Los Angeles was cancelled .
men’s tennis Three Glendale singles players and two doubles teams qualified for the Southern California regionals after advancing to at least the quarterfinals in the Western State Conference tournament Thursday through Saturday in Bakersfield. No.
1 singles player Lew Deleon advanced to the quarterfinals and No.2 and No.3 players, Sergy Vagramian and Hakop Tadevosian both advanced to the semifinals. The doubles teams of DeLeon and Vagramian and Tadevosian and Norik Otuzbiryan also advanced after falling in the quarterfinals. In the team competition, Glendale, seeded No.4 in the Southern California Regional, hosted Cerritos, seeded No.5 at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday in a first round match. The Vaqueros finished second in the WSC conference at 8-2 and were 9-7 overall and fell to Cerritos 9-0 in a pre-season match on February 14. The Vaqueros will also participate in the Ojai Invitational Thursday through Sunday.
women’s tennis Glendale finished the regular season on a winning note at 68 overall and 4-7 in WSC after beating hancock 5-4 Tuesday. Debbie Martin, Anna-Alicia Araujo, Ofelia Abrahamyan and Maria Bagaforo all had wins in singles as did the doubles team of Jennifere Chung and Abrahamyan, which clinched the victory with an 8-6 in the last match of the day. Debbie Martin and Anna-Alicia Araujo also qualified for the
[See Women’s Tennis page 17]
Photo by Jason Castro
Freshman Derik DerMegerdichian, returns a serve with a crisp forehand in a singles win over Allan Hancock College
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On Campus performances “Something’s Missing” — The Theatre Arts Department students and visiting director Lani Harris present “Something’s Missing” by Ken Gray. The play tells a story of an abducted child’s return to his parents, his relationship with his family and the man he becomes. The play will run through May 20 at the Auditorium Studio Theatre. General admission is $10, student and senior tickets are $8, and tickets for groups of 10 or more are $6. For ticket information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5618. For more information on the Theatre Arts Department and the production visit www. glendale.cc.ca.us/theatre/ “Hay Fever” – The GCC Theatre Arts Department and visiting director Kim Mowrey present “Hay Fever” by Noel Coward. The play will run though May 14 at the Auditorium Mainstage Theatre. General admission is $10, student and senior tickets are $8, and tickets for groups of 10 or more are $6. For ticket information, call (818) 240-1000, ext. 5618. For more information on the Theatre Arts Department and the production call (818) 240-
1000, ext, 5618, or visit www. glendale.cc.ca.us/theatre/
exhibitions “Call of Japan” — The GCC Art Gallery presents an exhibition of sculpture by Christie Frields and photographs by Jessica Rath. The exhibitions relates to the Japanese tradition of Ikebana and will run through May 13. Gallery opening hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is free. For more information, call (818) 240 - 1000, ext. 5663 or visit www.glendale.edu/artgallery/
lectures Emergency Preparedness by Chief Steven Wagg — The Chief of the GCC Police, Steven Wagg, offers an Emergency Preparedness workshop on Thursday at noon. The workshop will take place on Garfield Campus, Room 122. The workshop is free and open to GCC employees, students and guests.
sports Women’s Tennis — • The GCC team competes at Southern California Region-
als in San Diego from Thursday through May 6. • GCC women compete at the State Tournament in Claremont from Friday through May 13.
• The GCC team competes at the State Championships in Bakersfield on May 19 and 20.
lunch ticket. For more info, contact Rick Meyer at laphotog@ aol.com.
other events
transfer news
Men’s Tennis — • The GCC men’s team competes at the Southern California Regional Playoff Semifinals at College of the Desert on Tuesday at 2 p.m. • The GCC men compete in Southern California Regionals in Bakersfield from Thursday through May 6. • GCC men compete at the State Tournament in Claremont from Friday through May 13.
Eco Fest — A part of Eco Fest celebrations, campus clean-up takes place today between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. The event is sponsored by SAGA.
UCLA Campus Tour — A UCLA Campus Tour leaves today at 7.30 a.m. from the upper parking lot by the Child Development center, and returns to campus at 4 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Transfer Center.
Baseball — • The GCC team meets Pierce at Stangel Field on Tuesday at 2.30 p.m. • The GCC baseball team meets Pierce at Pierce on Thursday at 2.30 p.m. Men’s and Women’s Track and Field — • The GCC team competes at the Southern California Prelims at Mt. San Antonio College on Saturday. • The GCC Track and Field team competes at the Southern California Finals at Mt. San Antonio College on Friday.
Free HIV Testing — The GCC Health Center offers free and anonymous HIV testing on Monday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Tuesday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call (818) 551 - 5189. College Photojournalism Day — Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles, GCC Journalism Department and Photojournalism Program present the College Photojournalism Day on May 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Student Center. A team professionals will be evaluating student portfolios. The best three entries will be showcased. A number of workshops will be offered by photojournalists and photographers. Space is limited. Only 75 students will be accepted. RSVP to laphotog@aol.com with your name, phone number, and mailing address by April 30 to get reserved parking and a
CSU Long Beach Campus Tour — A CSU Long Beach Campus Tour leaves on Saturday at 7.30 a.m. from the upper parking lot by the Child Development center, and returns to campus at 3 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Transfer Center. For more information, call (818) 240 - 1000, ext. 5442. Online Registration — GCC has launched a pilot Online Registration program. For more information, visit https://webreg.glendale.edu/ Summer Registration — Check your STARS priority registration appointment date and time for Summer 2006 between May 1 and May 19. Priority registration for Summer 2006 starts on May 15. To submit a listing e-mail the El Vaquero at calendar@elvaq.com.
Around Town exhibitions “Expressive Color Exhibition” — Artworks by DJ Grossi, Kest Mikenas, Christopher Naylor, Robert G. Rivera and Mark Venaglia will be on desplay from Sunday through June 16. at the Brand Library Art Galleries. The galleries are located at 1601 W. Mountain Street. The opening hours are Tuesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the galleries is free and open to the public. Parking is free. Form more information, call (818) 548 - 2051.
The Woods” — The Alex Theatre presents”Over The River And Through The Woods.” The play will run through May 20. Performances are Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and at 3 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are from $16.50 to $20. For ticket information, call (818) 244-8481, or visit www.glendalecentretheatre.com.
performances
“Miss Asia USA 18th Annual Cultural Pageant” — The Alex Theatre presents the 18th Annual Cultural Pageant. 28 representatives from Asian countries will compete for the title on Saturday at 6 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $45. For information, call (818) 234-ALEX, or visit www.alextheatre.org.
“Over The River And Through
“China National Song & Dance
Troupe”— The Alex Theatre presents the world-renowned China National Song & Dance Troupe on Friday at 7.30 p.m. A group of 75 artists will perfor in English and Chinese. The tickets are $40 to $100. For information, call (818) 234-ALEX, or visit www.alextheatre.org. “Arms and the Man” — A Noise Within Theatre presents “Arms and the Man,” a comedy by George Bernard Shaw. The play presents the life of the Petkoff family and the events that follow the appearance of Bluntschli - “Chocolate Cream Soldier.” The play will run through May 20. Performances are at 8 p.m. Tickets are $45 on the opening night, $36 on Fridays and Saturdays, and $32 on Wednesday, Thursday
and Sunday evenings. “The Tempest” — A Noise Within Theatre presents William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” The play will run through May 21. Performances are at 8 p.m. on weekdays and at 2 p.m. on the weekends .Tickets are $45 on the opening night, $36 on Fridays and Saturdays, and $32 on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. For ticket information, call (818) 240-0910, ext. 1, or visit www.anoisewithin.org
other events “Armenian-Greek Folk Dance” — The City of Glendale presents the night of “Armenian-Greek Folk Dance” on Thursday and on May 11 at 7 p.m. The event will take place at the lower level of the
Glendale Civic Auditorium located at 1401 N. Verdugo Road.. For more information, call Tom Bozigian at (562) 941 - 0845. “Brand Library Piano Recital” — The Brand Library Recital Hall presents piano students of Sylvia Emery in concert today at 7 p.m. The event takes place at the Glendale Public Library at 1601 W. Mountain Street. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (818) 548 - 2051. City Council Meeting — The City of Glendale Council meets every Tuesday at 6 p.m. at 613 E. Broadway Avenue For more information, call (818) 548 - 4844. For the agendas, visit www.ci.glendale. ca.us/agenda.asp.